«A Young Man Approached Me on the Street Some Time Ago»: The Minister Shares a Story

Armenia's Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan posted on his Facebook page, sharing a story about how he helped a citizen find a job, yet the individual never showed up for work.

“Some time ago, a young man named Marat approached me on the street and shared how difficult his life was, mentioning that he had participated in wars, lived on rent, had a disability, three children, and struggled to make ends meet. He asked for help.

Interestingly, the day before this chance encounter, I had met with Gagik Abrahamyan, the founder of JCA, at an event where he expressed frustration about not being able to recruit future jewelers at high salaries. After a short training, these potential employees could earn a net salary between 400,000 and 800,000 AMD, depending on their work.

Recalling that conversation, I suggested to Marat that I could request his employment, and he could resolve all his issues through work. He reluctantly agreed and provided his details, which I forwarded to the director of JCA. However, I was informed today that Marat has been invited twice but has not shown up.

This type of story happens quite frequently; almost all companies are facing a severe shortage of employees. Yet, there are many unemployed individuals who simply do not want to work. We often think that the reason is the low productivity of companies, which prevents them from offering competitive salaries. However, when the proposed salary is nearly double the average wage, additional questions arise.

I would appreciate it if you could share your thoughts in the comments,” the minister's post indicates.