ArmInfo.On December 5, the Armenian government at the meeting approved the "Work, Armenia" strategy, its terms of reference and financial assessment. According to Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan, presenting the document that the strategy sets priorities for reforms in the field of employment.
According to him, according to official data, in 2018, labor resources accounted for 68% of the total population, of which 57% are economically active. Among the economically active population, the unemployed account for 20.4%, the proportion of young people aged 15-34 is 45%. The high proportion of unemployment and the economically inactive population, Avinyan pointed out, is worrisome.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, despite the fact that since 2013, the indicator of economic growth is not very low, this growth was combined with the creation of new jobs in insufficient numbers, there is a gap in the indicators characterizing the employment sector, or incomplete indicators. At the same time, state employment programs are either unattractive, or their level of awareness is low. In addition, today the connection between education and the labor market is broken, while a quality education can provide not only a good employee, but also a good employer. There are also gaps in protecting the labor rights of workers.
The new strategy defines actions aimed at solving the problems mentioned. The program provides for actions for 2019-2023.
To recall, on May 15, the "Work, Armenia" program officially started, which, according to the authors of the document, one the one hand was a reaction to statistical data indicating high rates of unemployment, on the other - to complaints of employers who could not fill the vacancies. "Work, Armenia" will become a reference point of the economic revolution and, having a person at the head of the corner, in particular, a young specialist, will ensure a smooth transition in the "education-labor market" chain. According to the authors of the document, in the course of the program implementation, the achievements of modern science will be used, in particular, it is planned to create a mobile application that, based on the analysis of vacancy announcements at various websites, will offer the potential applicant the best option. As a result of the implementation of the program, a reduction in unemployment is expected, protection of labor rights of citizens, growth of labor productivity and economic activity in the country will be ensured. According to statistical data, unemployment among the economically active population is 20.4%. According to this indicator, Armenia yields to its colleagues in the EAEU and in the region. The share of young people aged 15-34 among the unemployed is 45%, 43% of the workforce is accounted for by the economically inactive population. In addition, studies show that only 6% of the unemployed are looking for work through the State Agency for Employment, while significant allocations are made from the state treasury to the structure. Applicants are more likely to look for work through friends and acquaintances, which indicates a serious institutional gap.