THOSE LOOKING FOR WORK IN ETCHMIADZIN ON THE RISE
Grisha Balasanyan
hetq.am/en/society/gorcazurk-2/
2009/0 4/14 | 14:54
Important society
As of April 1 of this year 1,038 individuals are reported to be
unemployed in the district of Etchmiadzin according to the local
unemployment office. 1,124 jobless cases were recorded for the same
period in 2008.
Individuals looking for work were reported at 1,254, as of April 1,
up from 1,247 from last year. The Etchmiadzin office reports that it
found work for 48 individuals for the period last year and jobs for 39
in 2009 so far. 73% of those applying to the office for work are women.
In reality, the number of unemployed is much greater given that those
villagers who don’t cultivate the land but who possess private plots
are not registered as being unemployed.
Mkrtich Zohrabyan, who heads the employment office in Etchmiadzin,
informed "Hetq" that the average age of those looking for work is
forty and above. Younger individuals most likely don’t apply for work
at the office since office jobs are quite rare in the area. Employers
are mainly looking for manual laborers.
Mr. Zohrabyan noted that it was much easier for men to find work even
though prospective employers ask for women to fill jobs in retail
sales and as cleaners.
This year a project entitled "Finding Work Elsewhere" will be launched
in Etchmiadzin. It will assist the unemployed to find suitable work
in other areas of the country. Monies allocated from the state budget
will help assist families to relocate to other areas and to rent
housing. Mr. Zohrabyan noted that his office has already recruited
two people, both teachers, willing to relocate elsewhere but that
jobs haven’t been found for them.