Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on March 14 envisaging the issuance of individual lump-sum payments to Azerbaijani citizens, who were depositors of Azerbaijan SSR former Savings Bank or their heirs. The process of getting money will start in June 2012 and will be completed by December 31, 2013. According to the preliminary data, more than one billion manat will be required for the issuance of individual lump-sum payments to depositors of the Azerbaijani branch of Sberbank of the USSR.

Population's income

According to the Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee, in January-March 2012, the nominal income of the population totaled 7.231.6 billion manat which is 13.9 percent more as compared to the same period of 2011.

Thus, during this period, the nominal income of the population per capita increased by 12.3 percent to 492.1 manat.

The growth rate of income per capita exceeded the growth in consumer prices by 9.2 percent.

Major indices, characterizing income of the population

Source: State Statistics Committee

In January-March 2012, Azerbaijani citizens distributed their income in following way: 66.4 percent on purchase of goods and services, 9.3 percent - payment of taxes, duties and fees, 22.1 percent - capital accumulation.

Real income after the payment of taxes and membership fees made up 6.5 bln manat or 13.9 percent more than the sale period of 2011. Real income per capita made up 718,8 manat with a growth of 12.4 percent.

Thus, during this period the expenditure in Jan.-March 2012 comprised 5474,3 bln manat or 1757,3 million manat less than the income of population, but 8,0 percent more than the expenses in the same period of 2011. (Source: State Statistics Committee, calculations by Trend).

The gap in the amount of revenues and expenditures of the population in favor of income, testifies to the growth of material well-being of Azerbaijani citizens. The differentiation in population's income and the availability of the Gini coefficient in the country should be taken into account.

Salary

The salary is one of the key social and economic indicators, which sufficiently enough characterizes the level of the prosperity of the working part of the population. According to the data provided by the State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan, the amount of average monthly salary in Azerbaijan in January-February 2012 comprised 368.5 or 8.5 percent more than the same period of 2011.

The highest salary was fixed in the mining industry, financial and insurance activity, information and communication, scientific and technological activity, as well as in the construction sector.

During the period part-time employees' salary in enterprises and organizations of the country amounted to 201.5 manat. The average salary of the persons employed under the contract amounted to 352.0 manat.

Labor market

In March, the Azerbaijani Cabinet Ministers approved the tripartite general collective agreement between the Azerbaijani Confederation of Trade Unions, National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) and the Cabinet of Ministers for 2012-2013.

The general collective agreement came into force from the date of signing - February 6, 2012. According to the agreement, the parties intend to carry out joint activity in 2012-2013 in the field of socio-economic policy and social and labor relations.

According to the data provided by the State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan, there were 38,800 unemployed people, with 42.8 percent women. Three unemployed claim for one vacancy in the country.

As of April 1, 2012, able-bodied citizens in Azerbaijan made up 4.382.6 million including 1.362.6 million people as hired workers. Of the hired people, 844,500 people work in the public sector and 518,100 - in private.

Of the hired employees involved in the production spheres: 21.4 percent in industry, 2.6 percent in extracting, 5.9 percent in processing, 6.1 percent in construction, 2.9 percent in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 2.2 percent - the generation and distribution of electricity, gas and steam, 1.7 percent - water supply and treatment, 3.9 percent - recreation, entertainment and art, and 3.2 percent - scientific and technical activities, 4.1 percent - public administration and defense, social security, 1.8 percent - communication, 1.4 percent - tourism and catering, 24.6 percent in education, 19.9 percent in wholesale and retail trade, repair of automobiles, home wares and personal things, 9.6 percent in health and social services, 4.8 percent in transport, 1.8 percent - state governance and defense, 0.8 percent - in real estate operations, 1.6 percent in financial and insurance activities and 1.1 percent in other spheres

Distribution of unemployed individuals and those who receive unemployment benefit in towns and regions as of April 1, 2012 (people)

Source: State Statistics Committee

As of April 1, 2012 the largest number of unemployed was registered in Baku (12,894 people, of which 685 people received unemployment benefits) and eighteen regions of Aran economic region (10,260 and 390 people respectively).

In March, the unemployment benefit in Azerbaijan increased by 2.29 percent compared to Feb.

Taking into account the consumer price inflation per month (0.3 percent), the actual amount of benefits increased by 1.99 percent.

As of April 1, 2012, the benefit was received by 1,977 people compared to 1,779 people as of March 1, 1,002 people by the beginning of the year and 87 people as of Jan. 1, 2011.

Social security

The average monthly amount of targeted social assistance per capita in Azerbaijan in the first quarter of 2012 amounted to 23.66 manat, per family - 106.45 manat.

According to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, in the first quarter, 566,472 people from 127,234 families get social assistance in Azerbaijan.

The Ministry prepares for the beginning of the "self-help" project, involving a lump sum of targeted social assistance, in Nizami district of Baku, as well as in Masalli, Khachmaz and Ismayilli. In 2011 the project was tested in the village Vahidli, Tovuz region. Its realization was continued in the first quarter in Fizuli region.

The purpose of "self-help" project is that the families spend this money to develop their business.