YEREVAN. – According to official data, the average number of Armenia’s industrial production staff has made up 79,700 people, from January to March of the current year.

To note, however, this number has dropped by 1,767 people, or 2.2 percent, as compared to the same period last year.

Accordingly, there is a huge “minus” in the country’s micro enterprises, whose staff has reduced by 2,100 people; a total of 64 employees were dismissed in small businesses. As a result, the micro enterprises’ overall share in Armenia’s industrial production fell all the way to 3.9 percent.

It is noteworthy that these indicators notwithstanding, the country’s micro enterprise productivity rose by 17.6 percent.

If these data are consistent with the actual picture and this reduction in staff is not “shady,” there is but one conclusion: the remaining employees have started working also in the stead of their laid off fellow workers.