Armenia

Refugees and POCs have the right to access formal employment opportunities, however there remain barriers to employment in the form of technical and policy level obstacles. According to UNHCR statistics, the largest industries employing refugees are the cooking industry (18%) and the beauty industry (16%).  Armenia has a 48% unemployment rate (Armstat), paired with a 19% informal employment rate in Yerevan alone (Armstat). The main industries in Armenia include mining, agriculture, tourism, IT, textile and apparel as well as jewellery. According to the UNHCR'’s market assessment of Armenia, manual urban activities are over represented (craftsmen, mechanic, blacksmith, beautifier, hairdresser…) due to the specific professional experience of Syrian refugees of Armenian ethnicity in Syria.