Approximately 10,900 People Have Lost Their Jobs and Sources of Income Due to the Blockade in Artsakh

According to preliminary estimates, approximately 10,900 people have lost their jobs and sources of income due to the blockade in Artsakh. This information is mentioned in the updated version of the emergency trilingual report published by the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Artsakh on May 11, regarding violations of individual and collective rights due to a five-month (150-day) blockade by Azerbaijan.

“Throughout the blockade, 860 economic entities, or 20.1% of the total, have officially ceased their operations, rendering 1,274 employees unemployed. Meanwhile, 505 economic entities, accounting for 11.8%, have continued their activities but were forced to lay off 2,908 employees. Thanks to state additional support, 2,154 economic entities maintain 6,031 job positions, which would have been significantly reduced if it weren’t for the government support programs related to the blockade,” the report states.

“Although the majority of companies in manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and commerce cannot operate fully or effectively due to the impossibility of importing necessary goods and issues with electricity and gas supply, some of them, with state support, still manage to retain their employees. However, as the crisis deepens, the number of companies halting operations and the count of effectively unemployed individuals are rapidly increasing.”

“Considering the official cases of layoffs, the analysis of self-employed individuals, and the actual reduction of shadow jobs due to the blockade and disruptions in critical infrastructure, it is estimated that since December 12, 2022, around 10,900 people have lost their jobs and sources of income (including job retention cases), which represents more than 50% of the workers in the private sector,” the emergency report also notes. “Persons working in the transport sector (such as taxi services, freight transportation, etc.), deprived of stable income due to the lack of gas supply and scarcity of energy resources, face difficulties in securing fuel.”