ARMENIAN UNEMPLOYMENT LEVEL RISES TO 6.8% IN JANUARY-JULY

ARKA
Sep 1, 2009

YEREVAN, September 1, /ARKA/. Armenia’s unemployment rate in
January-July, 2009 rose to 6.8% from 6.3% in the same time span
of 2008, the country’s National Statistical Service (NSS) told
ARKA. It said some 101,000 people looking for jobs were registered
by employment centers across the country-86,500 of them were jobless;
84,700 people were registered officially as unemployed. According to
official numbers, women again made the bulk of all jobless people-71.1%
(60,200).

The overall number of economically active population was 1,179,300;
1,099,400 had jobs, the rest were unemployed. The overall number of
jobless people entitled to unemployment allowances rose from 17,400
in Jan.-July, 2008 to 25,000. The average amount of the allowance
rose from 14,052 Drams to 16,875 Drams.

According to official figures, there were 866 vacancies by the end
of July.