DUSHANBE, September 13, Asia-Plus — Only 50,700 people have to date been estimated as jobless in Tajikistan, which has the population of seven million people.

According to the State Agency for Social Security at the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MoLSS), 50,700 people have to date applied to the employment center across the country for job.  The majority of them – 36,333 people – have applied to the employment center over the first six months of this year alone.  

The source at the agency said that 56,372 new jobs have been created in the country this year.  However, practically all these places have remained vacant because many of those seeking job do not have proper qualification.   

Taking into account this problem, a MoLSS plans to organize short-term refresher courses on the most demanded specialties such as specialists on repairing telephone sets, western type cars, computers, as well as welders and so forth.  

In the meantime, many Russian media have cited Vadim Gustov, the head of the CIS Committee at Russia’s Federation Council, as saying that Russia and Tajikistan could set up a common labor exchange.  According to him, this issue will be discussed on September 17 and 18 at the second Tajik-Russian parliamentary forum that will be held in Moscow and Orienburg.