Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. L.Abdullayeva / The level of unemployment in Azerbaijan is 7.7%, while 4mln are able to work. Some 69.1% from the total number of unemployed are people under thirty-five years of age. The largest pool of people who are unemployed are between twenty and twenty-four years of age.
Citizens of Azerbaijan, particularly, university graduates wish to work in their fields, but there are more candidates than vacancies.
The main reason is that presently, universities are functioning for their own interests in Azerbaijan. Presently, universities in Azerbaijan seek to draw as many students as they can for their interests. The choice of a profession mainly depends on the university's popularity.
Some 40 to 60% of graduates in European countries have been provided with jobs, while in Azerbaijan this figure is 5-7%.
We should increase the level of education in Azerbaijani universities and train in expert fields that are needed. There is a necessity to introduce new professional standards to meet international standards and to settle the existing problem.
The number of the unemployed in Azerbaijan may increase due to the country's joining the World Trade Organization. It is therefore necessary to take immediate measures to prevent any crisis.