US citizens receive unemployment and social aid, but only for up to 5 years. This assistance is not permanent, economist Irakli Murtskhvaladze states, commenting on the decision to halt the 300 GEL employment program for vulnerable citizens from 2026.

As Irakli Murtskhvaladze noted on the air of "Commersant" radio, this program was counterproductive for employment, as for GEL 300, people did not perform real work but were simply registered with various departments and organizations, essentially receiving an addition to their social assistance.

"Here, we need to consider the situation in the country – over 700,000 citizens receive social assistance. This is a significant number, especially considering the country has a population of less than 4 million. We also need to take into account that, according to official data, the unemployment rate in Georgia stands at 13.5%. If we convert into the total number of people, it means that 300,000 to 350,000 people are unemployed. At the same time, we constantly hear from businesses about worforce shortage, about problems with hiring qualified staff, and about a deficit of labor in the job market. In short, the country is facing a paradoxical situation," notes Irakli Murtskhvaladze.

The economist also points out that while Georgians are emigrating for employment, a significant number of foreigners are arriving in our country for the same reason, a situation he finds paradoxical.