As of January 1, 2009 the level of unemployment in Syunik Province stood at 14.1%, a rise of 1% over the previous year. In 2008, the number of those officially registered as seeking work was 10,490 as oppsed to 9,072 in 2007. Those officially registered as unemployed in the province stood at 8,341, as compared to 6,912 the previous year. At 16%, the district of Goris registers the highest level of jobless in the entire province. Ruben Poghosyan, Director of the Kapan Employment Center states that the rise in unemployment is linked to the impact the global economic crisis has had on the province's mining sector.