Epress.am News from Armenia
Youth unemployment in Gyumri, the second large city in Armenia, has reached 52%, and it's the most problematic issue for the young people of the city, as evidenced by the findings of the first study on youth problems, conducted by "Youth Initiative Centre" NGO and Gyumri Youth Council.
400 respondents took part in the survey, 76% of whom considered unemployment the main problem of their city. The second and third most important issues, according to the respondents, are the difficult financial situation and emigration, which are also linked to unemployment.
“The increasing emigration rates prove that the people do not pin any hopes on their city. 40% of the respondents said they were planning to find a job abroad; 40% said they intended to find a job in other cities of Armenia, particularly, Yerevan,” the report says.
The second most important issue in Gyumri, according to the study, is the lack of self-sufficiency in the youth.
“Despite the need to overcome financial difficulties, 19% of the unemployed youth said they didn't work 'because the family does not allow them to,'” the authors write.
91% of respondents said they attached great importance to the relations with their family; 48% said they consulted their parents before making any decisions.
According to 79% of the surveyed youth, they need a job for independence; while 60 percent need financial independence from their parents.