Sahil Babayev: About 20 thousand people refused public works

"Employees of the workplaces closed by the government received lump-sum payments," Report quotes Minister of Labor and Social Protection Sahil Babayev, as saying.

"The ministry has not made any changes for re-payment to the persons on the list. The rules are the same as before. As for public jobs, the work is not just about cleaning somewhere. There are many other job offers on the list. It's just for social support and intended for low-income individuals. About 20,000 people (1%) did not accept job offers, even though some of them were denied the payment of 190 AZN since they did not meet the criteria of need.. There were other mechanisms for middle-income people. We made certain concessions to entrepreneurs in this regard. No one can say that a highly qualified specialist should be involved in public works, as specific mechanisms have been developed for both layers."

Babayev said that the closure of many jobs during the pandemic was inevitable: "No one could guarantee that all those working in the closed jobs would find a job."