YEREVAN. – Studies show that 60,000 people leave for work abroad on annual basis, Armenian PM Tigran Sargsyan told at a meeting with intellectuals in Oshakan on Friday.

The number of those who leave for work has not increased but restored compared to 2008. The number of workers decreased sharply in 2009 as a result of economic crisis. However, the number restored as a result of the economic improvement in Russia.

“The number of Armenians living in the state is 3 million, while it is twice more abroad. There are two basic reasons for Armenians to leave abroad. First, Armenians are mobile people. The other reason of the migration is insufficient job places in the country,” Armenian PM stated.

According to Sargsyan, the highest number of annual negative migration was 200,000 in 1991-1995, based on social-economical situation. However, as macro-economical stability was set, 50,000-60,000 people left the state during 1996-97. 2004-2006 registered positive migration. 2007 again registered negative migration with 4,000-5,000 people leaving the state. In 2010 the government adopted strategy of migration policy to eliminate negative migration.