Labour fair in Armenia: few job opportunities and tough requirements

Photo: Gevorg Ghazaryan, JAMnews

Hundreds of unemployed people attended a labour fair in the town of Gyumri on 9 October. Although there were many employers at the fair, most of the job-seekers went back home with absolutely nothing.

A total of 30 employers presented their stands at the fair, offering about 800 vacancies.

However, the problem isn’t just limited to a lack of job opportunities.

Many residents of Gyumri complain that older job-seekers get rejected when applying for a job. Others claim the employers often demand a level of knowledge and skills that most of them don’t possess.

“I’m a needlewoman. I had worked in Russia for 14 years and I’d been paid well. Then my mother fell ill and I had to return to Armenia. But I can’t find a job here. Wherever I go, I get rejected. They only hire young people up to 35. What am I supposed to do now? Should I return to Russia again?” says Nune Asatryan, a resident of Gyumri.

Another unemployed person reported that he was 40 and he wanted to get a job as a security guard. But the employer required computer skills which he didn’t possess.

As Artak Mangasaryan, the Head of the State Employment Service told journalists, every employer is entitled to set his/her own criteria based on which the employees will be selected.

“Of course they prefer to hire younger employees and that’s the case all over the world. And people should also understand that a good job starts with a smaller salary: none of the employers are going pay much to a new, inexperienced employee,” said Mangasaryan.

As he reported, the number of unemployed registered with the Employment Service this year was 6,000 less than last year. “A total of 17,000 people got temporary or seasonal jobs through the assistance of the State Employment Service in 2016,” said Artak Mangasaryan.