Gov’t keeps unemployment rate at 5 pct
By Nigar Abbasova
Azerbaijan has managed to maintain the unemployment rate at the level of five percent.
Labor and Social Protection Minister Salim Muslimov said that last year employment authorities of the country provided employment for some 56,631 people, while the figure is twofold higher than the index fixed in 2015 (28,000 people).
“As a result we have managed to keep the unemployment rate at the level of five percent, which is by far lower index as compared to that in developed countries. For instance, in Spain the rate stands at 19.6 percent, in France – 9.9 percent and Sweden – 6.9 percent,” he said.
The minister went on to add that the government will continue to pursue its employment policy, adding that new work places are being created within the policy of corporate social responsibility (CSR).
“Some 40,000 people were provided with a job in January-February 2017,” he said.
He further said that the country has also managed to maintain poverty level at a range of 5-6 percent.
“This is one of the lowest rates among CIS states, as well as among Eastern European countries,” he said.
Over the past five years, the State Employment Service under the Ministry has provided employment for about 30,000 people. Most of them are young people.
In tote, over the past 10 years, the number of people attracted to professional training courses by employment agencies and receiving additional education increased 2.5 times. Some 34,400 unemployed people were registered in Azerbaijan as of September 1, 2016, with 37.8 percent of them being women.
Muslimov also said that a special attention has been recently attributed to programs of self-employment.
“Roughly 200 people received financial means in the regions of the country within last two months. By the end of January the figure was 103. By late April, the number of people is expected to amount to 1, 430,” he said.
In 2016, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on additional measures in the field of self-employment and allocated some 6 million manats ($ 3.43 million) from the Presidential Reserve Fund to the Ministry.
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Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova
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