Armenia to change “suitable work” criteria. Minimum-wage jobs could be offered to jobseekers with professional education too
Armenia’s Ministry of Labour and Welfare proposes to change the criteria for “suitable work”: the pay criterion would become the minimum monthly wage for everyone, and the workplace would have to be in the same settlement or within 30 kilometres of it. The draft government decision was published on 10 November 2026 on the unified website for publication of draft legal acts, and public consultation runs until 26 November.
What it is
The draft amends Annex 2 to Government Decision N 534-N of 17 April 2014, which sets the criteria describing the conditions of suitable work. These criteria determine which job offered to a jobseeker registered at a territorial centre of the Unified Social Service counts as suitable.
| Criterion | Current rule | Draft |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | For people with professional education and a qualification: pay above one and a half times the minimum monthly wage. For others: pay equal to the minimum monthly wage | For everyone: the minimum monthly wage, regardless of professional education |
| Workplace | A settlement the person can travel to and from using three means of transport (taxi services excluded) | The settlement where the person lives (in the case of Yerevan, the community) or another settlement up to 30 kilometres away, using two means of public transport. Does not apply to remote work |
| Health | No general criterion. A separate point 5 applies to persons with disabilities | The job must match the person’s state of health, with no medical contraindications confirmed by a medical opinion. Point 5 is repealed |
| Match with profession | Classifier of workers’ professions, specialisations and positions | National classifier of occupations, positions and competencies |
Under the Law on Minimum Monthly Wage, the minimum monthly wage is AMD 75 thousand (about $208). By BusinessDaily‘s calculation, a job is currently suitable for a person with professional education and a qualification if it pays more than AMD 112.5 thousand. Once the draft is adopted, AMD 75 thousand would be enough.
Who needs it
In its justification the ministry says the aim is to clarify the criteria of the concept of “suitable work”. The change is linked to the new system for assessing family insecurity, which under Government Decision N 27-N of 9 January 2025 has applied across the country since 1 July 2026 (in Syunik and Kotayk provinces since 17 March 2025).
According to the justification, the ministry has also initiated another draft. To encourage employment of family members who are able to work but do not, it provides for income to be imputed when a person refuses suitable work twice, and it changes the amount of imputed income. The new suitable-work criteria are meant to make that rule workable. Under the current text of Decision N 27-N, imputed income equals the threshold value, which is AMD 35.9 thousand for 2026.
The change directly affects jobseekers registered at territorial centres, families undergoing insecurity assessment, and employers who recruit through the Unified Social Service.
What it means
- The pay bar for suitable work falls for people with professional education: a minimum-wage vacancy would count as suitable.
- The workplace gets a clear limit of 30 kilometres and two means of public transport, down from three today. The limit does not apply to remote work.
- Health becomes a separate criterion: a medical contraindication must be confirmed by a medical opinion issued under the procedure set by law.
- The ministry expects no significant change in state budget revenues or expenditures.
- The decision would enter into force on the tenth day after publication.
What to do
- Proposals can be submitted until 26 November 2026 on the draft’s page.
- Jobseekers with health limitations will need a medical opinion issued under the procedure set by law.
- Families in the insecurity assessment system should follow the draft on income imputation, because it will set the consequences of refusing suitable work.
- Employers should note that a vacancy paying the minimum monthly wage would meet the pay criterion for any candidate.
BusinessDaily reported earlier that another draft put up for public consultation on the same day abolishes the social package for public-sector employees from 2027.
Sources
- Draft decision on e-draft.am
- Justification of the draft
- Government Decision N 534-N, official consolidated text on arlis.am
- Government Decision N 27-N on arlis.am
