The Prime Minister of Georgia said today that the country’s unemployment rate had decreased to 17.3% this year and marked a “historic law”, adding 70,000 jobs had been created in the first quarter of 2023.

Presenting his Government’s annual report to MPs, Irakli Garibashvili contrasted the number to the “almost 27%” unemployment in 2012, when the Georgian Dream took office, before hailing efforts of his office to encourage new jobs by creating a “favourable business environment”.

“The absolute poverty rate had also fallen to a historical minimum of 15.6%, contrasting the figure to 30% in 2012.

The figures mean the poverty rate has almost halved over the past decade, and 535,000 people have been able to escape poverty. 1,271,000 individuals were employed across the country based on latest data”, - said the Head of the Government.