Georgia’s unemployment rate drops to 11-year low

The Government of Georgia is taking action to address poverty in the country, says the World Bank. Photo by Agenda.ge
Agenda.ge, 27 May 2015 - 15:47, Tbilisi,Georgia

The number of people employed in Georgia is increasing.

Official statistics from the country’s national statistics office, Geostat, revealed at the end of 2014 the unemployment rate in Georgia was 12.4 percent – the lowest it has been in 11 years.

The 2014 unemployment rate was a decline of 2.2 percent on 2013 figures, when the country experienced 14.6 percent unemployment. Since 2006 unemployment in Georgia went from 13.6 percent, peaked in 2009 at 16.9 percent and has continuously dropped each year since then.

This results show that employment has increased in Georgia. I understand the problems of those [who fit into the] 12.4 percent [unemployment category] but we have to solve all the problems step-by-step,” said Georgia’s Finance Minister Nodar Khaduri.

In terms of gender, last year 10.4 percent of women were unemployed and 14 percent of males were unemployed. These figures showed a 1.9 percent drop and 2.5 percent drop respectively.

Geostat noted the unemployment rate did not change for the 55-59 age category, while it reduced in all other groups. A sharp reduction (11.3 percent) in unemployment was seen in the 15-19 age group, however this category also showed the highest unemployment rate of all other age categories.

Unemployment remained highest in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi however this had reduced by 6.6 percent in the past year, said Geostat.

As unemployment drops, employment rises. In 2014 the country’s employment rate increased by 1.6 percent. Geostat data showed employment increased in rural areas (0.8 percent), while it was decreased in towns (0.5 percent).

Most people in Georgia were self-employed (60.2 percent of total employment figures) however trends since 2006 showed more people were being hired as employees.

Of the working-age population (aged 15-65), 66.5 percent were ‘economically active’ meaning they were employed, said Geostat. The employment rate of this group of people increased by 1.7 percent in the past year.

Meanwhile today at the first Diaspora-Profession Forum Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said Georgia "should not be a poor country”.

Our main problem is that we use our resources incorrectly. We do not see our resources, which are unique,” he said.

"Several months ago we learnt the potential of Georgia’s regions and discovered that we have huge potential that we can use.”

He believed unemployment was the main problem in Georgia and that was the reason why Georgia’s citizens who lived abroad did not return to their homeland.