In August, an absolute record number of job openings was recorded in Armenia. The Prime Minister also addressed the indicators of economic activity during the Government meeting.
In August, an absolute record number of job openings was recorded in Armenia. The Prime Minister also addressed the indicators of economic activity during the Government meeting.
01-10-2026 17:34 Armenia Press release
Today, a regular meeting of the Government of the Republic of Armenia was held, chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan:
During today's government meeting, Nikol Pashinyan noted that an absolute record number of jobs was recorded in August 2026. "We have never had a historical maximum in August before. That is, there have been increases in August, but we have had higher figures only 1 or 2 times in the previous months of the same year. This year is unprecedented in that the highest figure of all time has been recorded in August. In August, we had 830,417 jobs, which is an increase of 307,130 compared to August 2017. The total salary fund has increased by 186 billion drams or 208 percent compared to August 2017. In other words, the salary fund has increased approximately 4 times overall."
The Prime Minister also reported that the income tax figures in August 2026 have increased by 32 billion drams or 144 percent compared to August 2017, while the average salary has increased by 161,000 drams or 94 percent compared to August 2017:
The head of state noted that in the results of the last 9 months, 2 trillion 308 billion drams have been entered into the state budget, which is an increase of 14.7 percent compared to the previous year's 9 months. "Compared to the indicators of the budget adopted in the National Assembly in 2025, the collected figure is higher by 126 billion drams. In other words, with the results of 9 months, we are progressing with higher collections than the preliminary budget by 126 billion drams. Of course, this is a good indicator, and on this occasion, I want to thank all citizens working in Armenia, creating results, and paying taxes as stipulated by law. I also want to thank the state employees whose work has made this indicator possible, including the State Revenue Committee," said the Prime Minister.
In this context, Nikol Pashinyan addressed the shadow economy and emphasized that, nevertheless, there is still a huge shadow, and he is not satisfied with the pace, volume, methods, and effectiveness of the fight against the shadow economy.
Referring to the indicators of economic activity, the Prime Minister stated that despite pessimistic forecasts, the economic activity index in August 2026 is 5.2 percent; construction continues to grow at a very high rate, and there is also significant activity in the real estate market.
According to the Prime Minister, based on the data for 8 months, the economic activity index remains high. "We have a 7.3% economic activity index, with industrial activity growth at 7.4%, construction at 24%, and services at 12%. External trade turnover recorded an activity of 3.2%, but in August, we also have a certain increase in exports of 1.3%, which is very good considering the events of the previous period."
Nikol Pashinyan also addressed the increase in rental prices for apartments and high prices in the real estate market. In this context, the head of state referred to the housing stock in Armenia and noted, "Essentially, 90% is dilapidated. The renovation program is as follows: investment projects are being implemented in place of the existing housing stock, and new buildings are being constructed. This issue is very urgent in Yerevan, and we are thinking about it; it is included in our electoral program and the Government's program."
Speaking about the political aspect and conclusion of economic indicators, the head of state emphasized that in his opinion, all of this is a sign of optimism. "These indicators indicate that people deeply believe in peace. This belief is very good and important for this phase, but we must carry people's expectations through to the end. At this stage, there is peace, peace is present, peace is a reality, but peace is not yet fully institutionalized, and the greatest task of the Government is to carry people's expectations through to the end and deliver them."
In the near future, our task should be to clearly formulate our issue—a fundamental action that we must take is the signing and ratification of the Peace Agreement. We have created this expectation; people have responded and believed in this expectation, now people need to see that we are taking their expectation as political capital and carrying it through to the end. And this should be one of our strategic priorities, and from here, we should derive and develop our political strategies."
* This text was automatically translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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