The social policy has always been one of the main priorities in Azerbaijan. A number of orders were signed in January 2017 to improve the living standards of population.
- President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed an order to increase the minimum monthly wage to 116 manat starting from January 1.
- Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev signed an order to amend the decree "On increasing salaries of civil servants" dated July 9, 2008. The changes have been made to the annex on the "Monthly salaries of civil servants in Azerbaijan".
- Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on indexation of insured part of labor pensions.
Under the decree, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population is instructed to ensure the increase of insured part of all types of labor pensions in line with the consumer prices index for 2016; carry out indexation of amounts of pension capital accumulated in the insurance part of personal accounts.
- Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree assigning a unified monthly allowance for IDPs and people equated to them.
The decree says that starting from Jan. 1, 2017, a unified monthly allowance of 36 Azerbaijani manat is assigned for each IDP or person equated to IDP instead of the allowance payments from state budget for food, public utilities and other services.
- Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on amending the decree "On Some Measures to Strengthen Social Protection of State Customs Service Employees, Facilitate Procedures and Increase Transparency in the Field of Customs" dated February 25, 2011.
Population’s income
According to the Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee, the nominal income of the population totaled 3.4 million manat in January 2017, which is by 4.6 percent more compared to January 2016.
Thus, during the reporting period, the nominal income of the population per capita increased by 3.4 percent and reached 358.6 manat.
Major indices, characterizing income of the population
|
Indices |
January 2017 |
Compared to January 2016, % |
|
Nominal income of population, in mln manat |
3476,1 |
104,6 |
|
Income per capita, manat |
358,6 |
103,4 |
|
Income of population, in mln manat |
3139,8 |
104,5 |
|
Income per capita, manat |
323,9 |
103,4 |
Source: State Statistics Committee
The population’s income after paying all required fees and membership fees made up 3.13 million manat, which is by 4.5 percent more than in January 2016. Real income per capita increased by 3.4 percent and reached 323.9 manat.
Salary
The salary is one of the key social and economic indicators, which sufficiently enough characterizes the level of the prosperity of the working part of the population. According to the Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee, the average monthly salary in Azerbaijan in January 2017 increased by 6.9 percent from year to year and reached 498.6 manat.
Remuneration in the oil sector reached 2804,9 manat for the month, the non-oil sector – 443,9 manat, the public sector – 375,4 manat, the private sector – 674,2 manat as of January 1, 2017.
The highest salary was observed in the mining industry, financial, information and communication, scientific and technical activity, as well as the construction sectors.
The salary of those working in the construction sector increased by 18.6 percent for the year and amounted to 813,7 manat in 2016.
The salary of those working in the agricultural sector increased by 4 percent for the year and amounted to 256,6 manat in 2016.
Labor market
As of February 1, 2017, some 34,200 people were officially registered as unemployed in Azerbaijan, including 37.8 percent women, the Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee’s report said.
According to the report, the number of unemployed increased by 14.8 percent in the country compared to January 2016.
The average monthly unemployment benefit is 270.3 manat in Azerbaijan in the reporting period, which is by 3.8 percent less than in January 2016.
Distribution of unemployed individuals and those who receive unemployment benefit in towns and regions as of February 1, 2017 (people):
|
Economic regions: |
Individuals with unemployed status |
Individuals receiving unemployment benefits |
|
Baku |
15 544 |
939 |
|
Absheron region |
1 631 |
313 |
|
Ganja-Gazakh |
2 287 |
251 |
|
Sheki-Zaqatala |
946 |
126 |
|
Lankaran |
972 |
68 |
|
Guba-Khachmaz |
1 319 |
167 |
|
Aran |
7 724 |
425 |
|
Upper-Karabakh |
1 580 |
132 |
|
Kalbajar-Lachin |
1 402 |
136 |
|
Mountain Shirvan |
832 |
92 |
|
Nakhchivan |
- |
- |
As of early February 2017, the economically active population reached 5.01 million people, which is by 1.8 percent more compared to the same period of 2016.
Thus, as of January 1, 2016, the number of hired employees exceeded 1.51 million people, including 889,900 people worked in the state sector, and 624,100 people - in private sector.
Some 34,100 people work in the oil sector, while 1.48 million people in the non-oil sector.
Around 21.8 percent fall to the hired employees involved in the production spheres: 5.9 percent in construction, 6.8 percent in manufacturing industry, 3.1 percent in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 2.2 percent - in the mining industry, 2 percent - water supply, waste recycling, 1.8 percent - in the production and distribution of electricity, gas and steam, 22.2 percent in education, 19.3 percent - trade, repair of vehicles, 8.8 percent - medical and social services, 7.1 percent in state governance and defense, social maintenance, 4.6 percent - transportation and warehousing, 3.8 percent - recreation, entertainment and arts, 3.7 percent – professional, scientific and technical activities, 1.6 percent - communication and information, 1.7 percent - financial and insurance activities, 1.2 percent - real estate transactions, 1.6 percent - administrative and additional services, 1.5 percent – tourist accommodation and catering and 1.1 percent - other areas.
Azerbaijan has been recently paying much attention to self-employment programs. Around 200 people have been provided with assets to establish family farms in the country’s regions over the past two months. As of late January, 103 people were provided with assets, while 1,430 people as of late April.
Workplaces are also created as part of the social responsibility policy of state companies.
Some 40,000 people have been provided with jobs since early 2017.