Unemployment Reduced

[Virabian Jhanna]

UNEMPLOYMENT REDUCED

Azat Artsakh - Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
15-03-2004

According to the data of the NKR National Statistics Service, the
average number of workers on the play-roll employed in the branches of
the NKR economy was 32 686 in 2003 which increased by 1881 or 6.1
percent. The number of people employed in the sphere of industry grew
by 1420 or 11.8 percent. By January1, 2004 4272 people have been
registered at the department of work and employment of the NKR
Ministry of Social Security of which 3314 or 77.6 percent have the
status of unemployed. The number of citizens looking for jobs in
Stepanakert is 2364 of which 2361 or 99.9 percent are unemployed. The
number of people looking for jobs dropped by 9 percent, and the
unemployment rate dropped by2.6 percent from January 1, 2003. The
level of unemployment as the correlation of the unemployed registered
in the employment agencies and the economically active population
(employed and unemployed) totaled 5.7 percent in 2003 against the 5.9
percent of 2002.

AA.
15-03-2004