BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. As a result of targeted social policies implemented by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, the country has carried out five major social reform packages during 2018-2025, said Anar Aliyev, the country's Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, Trend reports.
In his speech at the conference on "The Impact of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence on Workplaces," held in Baku in honor of World Day for Safety and Health at Work and the 120th anniversary of the first collective agreement, Aliyev added that these reforms, which have an annual financial impact of 7.6 billion manat ($100.7 billion), have benefited more than four million people.
According to Aliyev, during this period, the minimum wage has increased 3.1 times, the minimum pension has risen by 2.9 times, and the average monthly pension has grown by 2.6 times.
"The volume of social benefits and pension payments has also increased fivefold, reaching 1.9 billion manat ($1.1 billion), up from 400 million manat ($235.2 million)," Aliyev stated.
Furthermore, as he noted, as a result of measures taken in the labor market, the number of labor contracts has increased by 42.4 percent, with the private sector accounting for 90 percent of this growth. Over the same period, the wage fund has increased by 2.9 times, with non-governmental sectors seeing an even larger increase of 3.2 times.
"Azerbaijan continues to implement consecutive reforms aimed at strengthening social protection for the population, expanding employment opportunities, improving labor relations, and increasing the digitization of social services to ensure efficiency and transparency," the minister added.
To note, a conference on "Impact of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence on Employment" is being held at the Gulustan Palace in Azerbaijan's Baku, dedicated to International Workers' Protection Day and the 120th anniversary of the first collective agreement.
The event is attended by Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population Anar Aliyev, President of the National Confederation of Employers' Organizations of Azerbaijan Mammad Musayev, Chairman of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Azerbaijan Sahib Mammadov, and representatives from various state and private organizations.
Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel