ArmInfo. The unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2017 increased to 19% from 18.3% for the same period in 2016. This is evidenced by the data of the National Statistical Service of Armenia.
The number of registered unemployed in Armenia by June 1, 2017 reached 78.2 thousand with an annual decline of 1.3%, against a 6.6% increase in the same period in 2016. Of this number, 60.6 thousand were found (with an annual decline of 3.7%), and men - 32.8 thousand (with an annual decline of 0.3%).
At the reporting date, only 637 were newly employed in Armenia. Citizens or 0.7% of the total number of job seekers, which is 7.3% less indicator of a year ago. In search of work by June 2017.There were 93.4 thousand people, with an annual decline of 2.5%. The first place is occupied by the Shirak region -13.9 thousand, followed by Yerevan - 11.8 thousand, Lori region - 9.8 thousand, Kotayk region - 9.1 thousand and the top five "leaders" closes the Ararat region - 6.8 thousand.
By June 2017, employers submitted applications for 1496 jobs to employers' agencies (the annual decline was 14.1%) with a load of 1 vacancy in 45 people. (A decline of 1.9% per annum). Recall that in 2016 in Armenia, the unemployment rate fell to 18% from 18.5% in 2015. Before that, in 2014, the unemployment rate in the the country was 17.6%, in 2013 - 16.2%.
According to the updated forecast of the Central Bank of Armenia, the unemployment rate in 2017 will be 18.5% with an annual decrease in 2018-2019 at0,3-0,4 percentage points - to 18-18,2% and 17,6-18% respectively. Meanwhile, the previous November forecast of the Central Bank for 2017 provided for the unemployment rate of 18.3%, and for 2016 - the deterioration from 17.8% to 18.1%. The updated forecast of the Central Bank notes that the weak demand for labor observed in 2016 due to low economic activity in the forecast horizon will gradually recover due to the acceleration of economic growth (3.2-4.4% - the forecast of the Central Bank for 2017) , And this, in turn, will slowly increase the employment of the population.