YEREVAN, MAY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia's GDP grew by 9.3% in January-April 2008 on the same period of 2007 and made 696 bln 104.7 mln drams (about 2 bln 257.9 mln USD). The GDP index-deflator made 106.8%. According to the RA National Statistical Service, industrial production grew by 0.1% in Armenia in January-April 2008 on the same months of 2007 and made 226 bln 590.6 mln drams. The gross agricultural output increased by 1.3% to 64 bln 164.5 mln drams, construction - by 16.8% to 71 bln 132.9 mln drams, retail trade - by 3.5% to 253 bln 592.1 mln drams, and services grew by 11.2% to 171 bln 740.8 mln drams. Armenia's foreign trade grew by 28.3% as compared with January-April of last year and made 1 bln 531.4 mln USD, with exports growing by 4.4% to 337.2 mln USD, imports - by 37.2% to 1 bln 194.2 mln USD. Consumer prices rose by 8.6%, industrial production prices - by 3.1% in January-April 2008 on January-April 2007. The number of officially registered unemployed persons declined by 11.6% in late April 2008 on the same date of 2007 and made 76.3 thousand. The average monthly nominal salary made 85.72 thousand drams in the first four months of 2008 (22.3% growth on the same period of last year), including the salary of employees of budgetary institutions - 61.101 thousand drams (17.8% growth) and that of employees of nonbudgetary institutions - 107.293 thousand drams (23% growth). The average exchange rate of a US dollar made 308.3 drams in January-April 2008. The same index in 2007 made 342.08 drams.

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