Stanislau Ivashkevich, Belsat 13 August 2016, 21:52
The number of vacancies in Belarus has increased in comparison with the previous year by as much as one third. This statement in early August was made by the Ministry of Labour. Earlier, however, the National Statistical Committee, pointed out that the unemployment rate had been decreasing for the second month in a row. Where do the these figures come from and what is the real situation on the labor market?
There are vacancies but no work
Stands around the Homiel employment center are full of vacancies. Dozens of employers are looking for both specialists and a variety of workers, albeit at a very low price. At first glance, finding a job in Homiel has really become easier. To confirm this, we turned to the local employment center visitors.
“I’ve been looking but there is nothing. I come where I am told, but there is no longer any work,” says the young guy visiting the Homiel center.
“Employment Center’s help was that we will not have to pay a fee as parasites,” says a lady.
But can the people we surveyed be unfortunate exceptions? Our crew members tried to find a job among the jobs offered on the labor market. “Belsat” called the employers from the ads at the employment center looking for work. In all cases, we were informed that the job offer may have already been outdated.
Situation with work is bad and will only get worse
A representative of one of the recruiting agencies confirmed to us that a good job can be intercept even one hour after its publication. However, he added that the businesses often have to place the jobs in the Labour Exchange in voluntary-compulsory manner — under pressure from the local administration. Therefore, a substantial proportion of jobs does not actually exist, and some of them do not reflect the requirements of the employer.
According to the chairman of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions Alyaksandr Yarashuk, it is one of the ways in which official statistics can reflect the increasing the number of vacancies. A person gets directed by the center of employment to an interview for an unclaimed place, he gets a paper saying he is not in demand or joins the line of similar cases. And six months later, according to the Belarusian legislation, the person is removed from the register of the unemployed – as unsuitable or reluctant to work, thus improving the rate of unemployment. The real situation, according to independent trade unions – is reverse and will deteriorate.
Number of unemployed will increase 2-3 times
Information of the Belsat household survey, the results of which are classified, claim that last year’s hidden unemployment in Belarus was 5-6%. According to the Eurasia Foundation for Stabilization and Development, which informed our channel of this figure, this year and next year it can increase 2-3 times.
According to the “Dom Kadrau” private agency interested in employing people rather than sending them to a job interview to get a commission for it, this year’s number of actual positions compared to last year has decreased by half.
