Armenian National Statistic Service: Level of unemployment in Armenia decreased from 18.5% to 18% in 2016

ArmInfo. The level of unemployment in Armenia decreased from 18.5% to 18% in 2016. To note for comparison, in 2014 the level of unemployment in the country, according to official statistic data, totaled 17.6%, in 2013-16.2%.

According to National Statistic Service of Armenia, in average the number of unemployed in 2016 in Armenia totaled 221.5 thousand, reduced by 9.1% in annual view. In the capital, the level of the unemployed decreased from 27% of 2015 to 26.6% of 2016, the same was in the regions. The percent of the unemployed in annual view decreased from 6.7% to 6.2%. At that, in total amount the number of unemployed men increased from 17.6% to 18.3%, and women, conversely, decreased from 19.5% to 17.8%. In 2016 9 546 residents managed to get job, which is by 5.2% less than index of 2015.

According to the source, during first two months of 2017 1159 Armenian nationals managed to get job (annual decrease by 26.4%) or 0.6% from total number of the employed. In Jan-Feb 2017 191.9 thousand people were between jobs with annual decrease by 6.1%.  Number of registered unemployed in Armenia in Jan-Feb 2017 reached 161.5 thousand people, with annual decrease by 2.9%. From this amount 106.2 thousand were women (annual decrease by 1.3%), and men-55.3 thousand (annual grow by 12.1%).

In 2016 employers 22 requests were applied on 190 work places (annual decrease by 1.1%) with tense on 1 vacant job from 631 people (annual grow by 16.6%). In Jan-Feb 2017 the number of requests from the employers totaled 3500) annual grow by 2.8%) with tense on 1 vacant place from 130 people (annual grow by 17.1%).

According to the number of the unemployed in Jan-Feb 2017 the leader is Shirak province- 28.6 residents, then comes the capital with 24.9 thousand people, Lori province -20.1 thousand and Kotayq province 18.5 thousand.

According to Armenian Central Bank estimates the level of unemployment in 2017 will total 18.5% with annual decrease in 2018-2019 by 0.3-0.4%- from 18-18.2% and 17.6-18% consequently.  Meanwhile, the previous November estimates of CB for 2017 totaled the level of the unemployment 18.3%, in 2016 worsening from 17.8% to 18%.  Renewed (February) estimates is being done by the Program of Monetary- Credit Policy CB on the first quarter of 2017, where is noted that in 2016 observing slight job request because of the low economic activeness, in the foreseeable future will get recurred related to fastening of economic grow temps, which, in its turn, will increase slowly the employment of the population. Anyways, as The MCP CB states, in 2016 they managed to compensate slight job request by means of increasing week average working hours.