DUSHANBE, April 20, 2013, Asia-Plus – The State Agency of Social Protection, Employment and Migration reports over the first three months of this year, a total of 32,235 persons have applied the Agency for help.

Of this total, 18,571 individuals were registered as job seekers and 13,178 were officially registered as an unemployed.  During the first 3 months of this year, 8,400 people were provided with jobs, which is 26.0% of the total number of those who applied.

The main reasons for providing a limited number of people with jobs were that most of the unemployed people do not have the necessary technical training or have lost skills due to prolonged unemployment, and the low level of wages provided by employers.

Over the same three-month period, unemployment benefits have been provided to 1,865 people for a total of 594,652 somoni (equivalent to 124,786 USD).  Including carryover from 2012, on April 1, 2013, a total of 77,606 persons were registered with the Agency as looking for work, including 55,394 registered as unemployed.  Over the report period, 5,175 people were sent to vocational trainings, 1,440 were people provided with social-paid (temporary) jobs and 705 people were provided with soft loans for to start business.

According to the State Agency for Social Protection, Employment and Migration, over the first three months of this year, 51,310 new jobs have been created, which is 50.2% more than in the same period of last year (34,148).