DUSHANBE, January 23, Asia-Plus  -- As of January 1, 2008, 54,000 unemployed have been officially registered in Tajikistan, Labor and Social Protection Minister Shukurjon Zuhurov announced at a news conference in Dushanbe Tuesday afternoon.   

According to him, a total number of economically active population in the country is now more than 2,100,000 people.   “More than 2 million people or 94.7 percent of the economically active population are now employed in various branches of economy and there only 54,000 unemployed (2.6 percent)” the minister said, noting that 1.208 million somonis were paid last year in unemployment benefits.   

In 2007, some 100,000 people applied to employment centers, which is 38,000 people more than in the previous year.  “Due to the population employment support program designed for 2006-2007 some 24,000 people were placed in jobs last year, which is 3.8 percent more than in 2006,” Zuhurov.   

We will recall that a December 29 government session endorsed the population employment support program for 2008-2009.  The program aims to create 185,000 new jobs in the country.  Under this program, 253,000 people are supposed to be placed in jobs and 17,500 people will be drawn into professional training and retraining.