YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The number of citizens who have left Armenia for abroad for the purpose of finding a job over the past 3 years reached about 147 thousand, which makes 4.6% of country's population. 90.1% of them have left for CIS countries, the rest of them to European Union countries and the U.S. During the same years about 93 thousand working migrants have returned to the republic. These data were published on February 9, during the presentation of the results of the study under the title "Working Emigration from Armenia in 2002-2005". According to Anna Minasian, Chairwoman of the "Advanced Social Technologies" NGO, the highest index of working migration was registered in Shirak and Lori and the lowest in Aragatsotn, Syunik, Tavush and Armavir regions. It was also mentioned that the number of townspeople who have left the republic for finding a job twice exceeds the analogous number of the villagers. According to the study data, the prevailing majority of working migrants, 85.9%, are 21-50-year-old men, married, with a secondary or vocational education. 64.6% of migrants had a permanent and 35.4% a temporary job before leaving the country. They mentioned lack of jobs and low salary as the main reasons of working migration. According to A.Minasian, the migrants' average monthly income in Armenia made 97.5 USD, whereas abroad 410 USD. In 2002-2005 the financial flows to Armenia thanks to the working migration made nearly 330 mln USD. The study was conducted at 1503 home farms consisting of 6833 members. It was conducted by the "Advanced Social Technologies" NGO, on the initiative of OSCE Yerevan Office and with the financing of Great Britain's foreign political department.

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