Azerbaijan’s unemployment figures rose in September for the first time in more than twenty years. Local employment offices have registered 71,000 unemployed as of September 1, Turan news agency reports in reference to the State Statistical Committee.
Experts say this is the highest figure in the last twenty years, as in comparison with the beginning of this year, the number of active job seekers increased 3.5 times.According to official sources, the unemployment rate in the country remains unchanged and amounts to 5% of the economically active population, that is 253,000.
Most of the unemployed, 29,000 people are registered in Baku. According to official data, there are 450,000 people living in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. However, no any single individual has been registered as unemployed. Despite the large number of people registered, only a small part of unemployed receive proper benefits. According to the official figures, as of September 1, 638 unemployed will be granted benefits. In January of this year, the figure exceeded 1,100. Unemployment benefit is 233.5 AZN per month.
In an interview with Meydan TV expert Nazim Beydemirli says no one doubts that the figures released officially are “funny".
Beydemirli said that in the economically developing countries the unemployment rate is 9-13%, which is a good indicator.“The day before the Turkish Statistical Institute released a statement sayin that total unemployment rate was 13 per cent and it is 24.8 per cent among the youth. Even if we take these figures into account, the mentioned 5 per cent [increase] in Azerbaijan is not credible,” he said.But the economist positively evaluates the registration of 71,000 unemployed, as the authorities have reported 35 to 40,000 unemployed over the years.