Unemployment in Belarus has reached a historic low. At the beginning of October, there were 15 thousand officially unemployed people in the country, the Ministry of Labor reports. This is 45.1% less than the percentage of unemployed a year earlier. The registered unemployment rate in Belarus at the beginning of this month was 0.3%. At the same time, the actual unemployment rate is noticeably higher than the official one: the number of unemployed people classified in accordance with the criteria of the International Labor Organization in the first quarter of this year was 260.6 thousand people.
The photo is for illustrative purposes only. Photo: Evgeniy Erchak, TUT.BY
The level of registered unemployment in the Brest and Vitebsk regions was 0.5%, in the Gomel, Grodno and Mogilev regions - 0.4%, in the Minsk region - 0.3%, and in Minsk - 0.1%.
Let us remind you that in the country as a whole, the registered unemployment rate at the beginning of September of this year was 0.4%, the same figure was at the beginning - also 0.4%, and at the beginning of June, May, April, March - 0.5%.
The number of officially unemployed people in Belarus has never been as low as at the beginning of October. Thus, at the beginning of September of this year, 16.3 thousand people were registered as unemployed, in August - 16.6 thousand, in July - almost 17.8 thousand, in June - 19.8 thousand, in May - 21.8 thousand, in April - 22.9 thousand, March - 23.9 thousand.
At the end of 2017, there were 22.9 thousand officially unemployed people in Belarus, 2016 - 35.3 thousand, 2015 - 43.3 thousand, 2014 - 24.2 thousand, 2013 - 20.9 thousand, 2012 - 24.9 thousand, 2013 - 28.2 thousand, 2012 - 33.1 thousand, 2009 - 40.3 thousand, 2008 - 37.3 thousand, 2007 - 44.1 thousand, 2006 - 52 thousand, 2005 - 67.9 thousand, 2004 - 83 thousand, 2003 - 136.1 thousand, 2002 - 130.5 thousand, 2001 - 102.9 thousand, 2000 - 95.8 thousand.
At the same time, the number of vacancies in Belarus has increased at a record level. Thus, as of October 1 of this year, employers reported information about 79.2 thousand vacant jobs. This is 42.8% more than in the same period last year.
“The demand for workers in blue-collar professions amounted to 65.4 percent of total number vacancies compared to 60.3% as of October 1, 2017, the Ministry of Labor clarifies. “The tension coefficient in the labor market of the republic as of October 1 of this year was 0.2 unemployed per vacancy (as of October 1, 2017 - 0.5).”
At the same time, in the Brest and Vitebsk regions this figure was 0.3 unemployed per vacancy, in the Gomel, Grodno, Minsk and Mogilev regions - 0.2, and in Minsk - 0.1 unemployed per vacancy.
Let us remember that in March last year Alexander Lukashenko employ all unemployed people in the country by May 1. It was not possible to fulfill this order, but the number of unemployed people in the country, according to official statistics, decreased. Thus, as of May 1 last year, there were 39.8 thousand officially unemployed in Belarus. In April, their number decreased by 3.6 thousand people. Before this, the number of unemployed Belarusians for three months.
In 2017, the number of unemployed people in Belarus, classified in accordance with ILO criteria, was 293.4 thousand people in 2017. This is 2.8% less than in 2016.
Unemployment is a common socio-economic phenomenon in which part of the working-age population is unable to find work, despite their desire and efforts. Economically active citizens with certain skills, knowledge and experience actually find themselves outside the area of application of their skills, deprived of the opportunity to earn a living.
To one degree or another, unemployment is present in any country, including states with strong, developed economies (USA, Germany, etc.). The fight against unemployment is one of the priorities of any government, and slogans about its elimination are present in election programs all modern politicians.
Where does unemployment come from?
People are deprived of the opportunity to find work for reasons primarily of a socio-economic nature. These include:
- lack of jobs due to the weak development of relevant sectors of the national economy;
- low level salaries, which may be caused by an overabundance of specialists in specific directions activity or general weak state of the economy;
- large-scale problems of a financial and economic nature: default, hyperinflation, recession, devaluation, etc., leading to bankruptcy of business entities and massive staff reductions;
- artificial barriers of a regulatory nature, for example, a ban on working in certain positions without specialized or higher education.
Problems with finding a job are possible due to demographic reasons, as well as due to poor awareness of the economically active population about the availability of vacancies.
Types of unemployment
This phenomenon may take different shapes, depending on which it is classified into the following categories:
- youth: able-bodied people under 31 years of age cannot find work;
- marginal: refers to persons leading an asocial life and not seeking employment;
- registered (official): counts only unemployed people listed on the labor exchange;
- hidden: is the antipode of the previous paragraph and takes into account citizens who do not register as unemployed and who refuse help from labor exchanges.
Experts also identify other types of unemployment: frictional, institutional, unstable, structural, etc.
Unemployment rate in Belarus
In Belarus, the official unemployment rate is calculated based on the number of able-bodied people registered at labor exchanges and receiving benefits. At the beginning of October 2018, it amounted to 15,000 people, which is 45.1% less than last year. As a result, the official unemployment rate reached a historical low and amounted to only 0.3%.
| Year | Unemployment rate (thousand people) | Registered unemployment rate (% of the workforce) |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 22,9 | 0,5 |
| 2016 | 35,3 | 0,8 |
| 2015 | 43,3 | 1,0 |
| 2014 | 24,2 | 0,5 |
| 2013 | 20,9 | 0,5 |
| 2012 | 24,9 | 0,5 |
| 2011 | 28,2 | 0,6 |
| 2010 | 33,1 | 0,7 |
| 2009 | 40,3 | 0,9 |
| 2008 | 37,3 | 0,8 |
| 2007 | 44,1 | 1,0 |
| 2006 | 52,0 | 1,1 |
| 2005 | 67,9 | 1,5 |
| 2004 | 83,0 | 1,9 |
| 2003 | 136,1 | 3,1 |
| 2002 | 130,5 | 2,9 |
| 2001 | 102,9 | 2,3 |
| 2000 | 95,8 | 2,1 |
| 1995 | 131,0 | 2,9 |
However, this indicator is far from objective - this is recognized not only by foreign, but also by domestic experts. This is due to the fact that only a small percentage of the real number of unemployed is registered at the Belarusian labor exchanges. Main reasons:
- extremely low level of benefits (in 2018 only 26 rubles);
- the need to participate for free community service(harvesting agricultural crops, cleaning streets, etc.);
- unsatisfactory level of wages for vacancies available on stock exchanges.
Therefore, many people try to find a job on their own, without counting on outside help. public services employment. IN official statistics they do not fall, which leads to inadequate low rate registered unemployment.
If we are guided by the criteria adopted International organization labor, the actual number of unemployed in the country in the first quarter of 2018 was approximately 260.6 thousand people. Accordingly, the level of hidden unemployment can range from 6% to 10% - similar indicators are often found in independent studies.
What about the neighbors?
In Russia in 2018, the unemployment rate varies around 4.7%, while in rural areas it is higher (6.5%) than among the urban population (4.1%). In Poland average of the current year is approximately 3.5%, differing slightly in different months. In Ukraine, officially registered unemployment is 8.3%, decreasing by about 0.7% compared to 2017.
In all of the listed countries, the level of official unemployment as a whole objectively reflects the situation, although some nuances are possible due to the specifics of the calculation.
The transition from a centrally regulated to a market economy, like any transition from one economic order to another, is accompanied by significant changes economic activity. Not only the relations of forms of ownership, the institutional environment, methods of management and government influence on economic activity are being transformed, but also the structure of production and employment, and the psychology of people.
The nature of transition processes determines two types of transition economies. The first type is based on processes that develop in an evolutionary way. An example would be economic transformation in Belarus. Another type is based on a radical restructuring of the economy, the so-called “shock therapy”, when something new is created according to the principle of “destroying everything old.”
In the Republic of Belarus, the evolving type of innovative development model gives rise to problems in the functioning of the NIS, which are characteristic specifically for the evolutionary development of the economy. These include:
- - the predominance of direct administrative influence at all levels of management, which largely gives the NIS a declarative character;
- - the problem of redistribution of power between the central and local levels management, which does not allow regions to intensify innovative activity;
- - the problem of concentrating the attention of government agencies on the involvement of small and medium-sized businesses in innovative activities, which does not contribute to the development of innovative susceptibility of economic entities in the regional and sectoral context.
The state of personnel also has a huge impact on transition processes. They are also characterized by inertia, since fundamental changes in the content of knowledge and skills of personnel cannot be carried out quickly.
Thus, transitional processes should be understood as the processes of transforming the content and structure, motivating economic activity, adapting it to the conditions and requirements of the domestic and foreign markets, which is caused by changes in the economic, state and public order.
The main parameter of unemployment analysis is its level. However, it is not an exhaustive characterizing indicator. To obtain a reliable picture, it is necessary to take into account registered unemployment, regional differences, parameters of shadow employment and hidden or latent unemployment, macroeconomic conditions that shape the demand and supply of labor in the national economy, as well as the size of the economically active population in the country.
The situation on the labor market in Belarus is often described as calm, manageable and controlled. No one doubts that in general it really is like that. But at the same time Belarusian map employment, along with areas of well-being, there are also pain points and sources of possible problems.
Data on the number of unemployed registered with labor, employment and social protection authorities, and the level of registered unemployment at the beginning of 2009-2014. are given in table 2.1
Table 2.1 - Number of unemployed registered at the beginning of 2009-2014.
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Republic of Belarus |
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Brest |
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Vitebsk |
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Gomel |
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Grodno |
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Mogilevskaya |
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Note - Source:
For greater clarity, let’s display the table data on a diagram (see Figure 2.1).
Figure 2.1 - Unemployment rate at the beginning of 2009-2014.
A gradual decrease in the unemployment rate in Belarus from 0.9% in 2009 and 0.5% in 2014 may indicate not a decrease in the level of real unemployment in the country, but a decrease in the degree of public confidence in employment services, and perhaps a decrease in efficiency their activities. In addition, this may indicate that the country lacks sufficient labor resources to ensure sustainable rates of economic growth and reach the average European standard of living.
When analyzing the number of unemployed in Belarus, three flows should be taken into account: the number of citizens who applied to the employment service, the number registered as unemployed during the year and the number registered at the end of the reporting period. During 2009-2014, the parameters of these flows changed, but to varying degrees.
In 2010, the number of people employed in the economy did not decrease, but increased slightly - to 4.646 million people against 4.580 million compared to 2009. In 2010, 35.2 thousand unemployed were registered with the labor, employment and social protection authorities . At the same time, the unemployment rate in 2010 was 0.7% of the economically active population (in 2009 -0.9%).
This dynamic indicates the priority national policy in the labor market to maintain employment. It should be noted that in crisis conditions, employment services acted as a kind of filter, monitoring the situation with the unemployed and those in need of assistance in finding employment, and increased emphasis on filling existing vacancies, training and retraining the unemployed, and returning them to work as quickly as possible.
Thus, in 2010, 287.9 thousand citizens who applied for help in finding employment were registered, of which 175.9 thousand people were recognized as unemployed, or 61.1% of the number of applicants. 175.3 thousand people were employed in 2010, including 115.6 thousand unemployed, or 65.9% of all employed
In January - November 2011, to the labor, employment and social protection 293.6 thousand people applied for assistance in finding employment (94.6 percent of the 2010 level), of which 174.3 thousand people were registered as unemployed (90.6 percent of the 2010 level). Taking into account 52.5 thousand citizens registered as of January 1, 2011, a total of 346.1 thousand people needed employment, of which 207.4 thousand were unemployed.
The level of registered unemployment at the end of November 2011 was 0.6 percent of the economically active population (in 2010 - 0.7 percent). At the same time, the labor market is focused on blue-collar professions, which accounted for 79.4 percent of the total number of vacancies announced by employers (78 percent in 2010). In Minsk there are six times more vacancies than unemployed people. As of November 1, 2011, out of 130 regions of the republic, in 118 regions the unemployment rate was 1 percent or less, in 12 regions - from 1.1 to 1.3 percent. Most high level unemployment - 1.3 percent is registered in the Postavy region, the lowest - 0.2 percent in the Minsk region.
The demand for labor has increased in the Republic of Belarus. As of December 1, 2011, the labor, employment and social protection authorities received information about the presence of 55.6 thousand vacancies, which amounted to 106.5 percent compared to 2010. Tension in the labor market varies from 1 unemployed per 1 vacancy in the Gomel region to 0.2 unemployed per 1 vacancy in Minsk
As of March 1, 2012, Belarus recorded the lowest number of unemployed in five years and the highest a large number of vacancies.
As of March 1, almost 31.5 thousand people were registered as unemployment with the labor, employment and social security agencies - 7.6% less than on March 1, 2011. As evidenced by an analysis of similar data for the past five years, this number of unemployed as of March 1 is the lowest
Most of the main indicators characterizing the state of unemployment and employment in the republic as a whole are comparable to similar indicators in 2011. Thus, according to operational data, in January-February of this year, applications to the state employment service for assistance in finding employment decreased by 1.4%, and those in need of employment decreased by 7.6%. There are also fewer employed people - by 5.4% (in January-February 2012, with the assistance of labor, employment and social protection authorities, workplace 26.1 thousand people, including 20.1 thousand unemployed).
As of March 1, 2012, registered unemployment remained at the level of 0.7% of the economically active population (as of March 1, 2011 it was 0.7%, the same as on February 1, 2012). As for the regions, in February unemployment increased by 0.1 percentage points in three regions of the country: in Gomel - up to 1%, in Grodno and Mogilev - up to 0.8%. In other regions, registered unemployment remained at the same level: in the Brest and Vitebsk regions - 0.8%, in the Minsk region - 0.6%, in Minsk - 0.3%.
Throughout 2012, the situation on the labor market was stable, sudden changes in one direction or another is not fixed, only small seasonal fluctuations are observed,
According to the data, in 2013 the unemployment rate in the republic decreased by 0.1%. At the same time, the number of unemployed registered with labor and social protection authorities increased in November compared to October of the same year.
As of the end of November 2013, the registered unemployment rate in Belarus was 0.5% of the economically active population. At the end of November 2012, this figure was 0.6%. In January-November 2013, 4 million 523.1 thousand people were employed in the republic’s economy, i.e. 1.2% less than in the same months of the previous year.
According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, the number of unemployed registered by labor, employment and social protection authorities amounted to 21.1 thousand people by the end of November 2013, which is 18.9% less than at the end of November 2012 and 0 .6% more than at the end of October 2013.
In November 2013, organizations in Belarus, excluding micro-organizations and small organizations without departmental subordination, hired 63.7 thousand people, of which 3.3 thousand or 5.2% of the total number hired - for additionally introduced jobs . For various reasons, 68.8 thousand people were dismissed during this period, which is 2.1% of the average monthly number. Of this number, 7.1% of workers were dismissed for absenteeism, as well as other violations of labor discipline, 1% - due to a reduction in staff or number of employees or liquidation of the organization.
The employee replacement rate, calculated as the ratio of the number of employees hired to the number of employees fired, was 0.927 in November 2013; in November of the previous year it was 0.920. The number of hired workers exceeded the number of fired workers by 5 thousand; in November 2012, there were 5.8 thousand more hired workers than fired workers.
In Belarus, as of September 1, 2014, registered unemployment remained at 0.5% of the economically active population.
Over the past year and a half, the unemployment rate in the country has remained unchanged. This is evidence of stability in the labor market of the republic.
The dynamics of the unemployment rate for 2013 and 2014 are presented in the graph (see Appendix A).
In January - June 2014, 114.4 thousand people (86 percent of the 2013 level) applied to the labor, employment and social protection authorities for assistance in finding employment, of which 72.8 thousand people were registered as unemployed (87 .9 percent from the 2013 level). Taking into account 34.3 thousand citizens registered as of January 1, 2014, a total of 148.7 thousand people needed employment, of which 93.8 thousand were unemployed. Data on registration of the unemployed in 2013-2014 are displayed on the graph (see Appendix B).
As for the regions, in August of this year the unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points in the Brest region (up to 0.7%) and in Minsk (up to 0.2%). As before, this figure is 0.7% in the Vitebsk region, 0.6% in the Grodno, Gomel and Mogilev regions, and 0.4% in the Minsk region.
Unemployment in Belarus for last years is still predominantly male (by 2014, the share in the total number increased from 59.6% to 62.7%), despite the fact that the labor market is mainly focused on the use of male work force. However, the share of women in the total number of unemployed decreased from 40.4% in 2013 to 37.3% in 2014. Women with young children and graduates find themselves in the most difficult situation in the labor market educational institutions with no work experience, women before retirement age, as well as women who have professions in which preference is given to men when hiring [see. Appendix B].
There has been a downward trend in the level of youth unemployment (i.e. unemployment among persons aged 16 to 29 years) - from 36.4% in 2013 to 31.7% in 2014. High youth unemployment is to some extent related with the entry into working age of a significant contingent of young people. However, despite the positive trends, the employment of young people, most of whom do not have a profession or sufficient production experience, remains problematic.
In January-June 2014, registration of unemployed people in particular need of social protection and unable to equal conditions compete in the labor market (disabled children, orphans, parents in large and single-parent families, as well as disabled people raising children, released from prison, veterans of military operations in other states, youth under the age of 21, for the first time job seeker etc.) amounted to 17.6 percent of the total number of registered unemployed (in January-June 2013 - 16.6 percent).
those dismissed at their own request;
dismissed by agreement of the parties;
long-term unemployed;
fired by good reason and etc. .
Unemployment in Belarus is twofold: on the one hand, outdated and inefficient production remains, on the other hand, the transition of the economy to an innovative path of development, the objective processes of European globalization and integration are accompanied by the need for personnel in new professions and specialties, causing the rapid obsolescence of existing knowledge and the need for advanced training , retraining. All this explains the dominant nature of structural unemployment in Belarus.
Unemployment in Belarus is not long-term (that is, it lasts less than one calendar year), but this phenomenon in Belarus also has its own specifics. Long-term unemployment is very indicative of its socio-demographic characteristics. For example, in the Vitebsk region among the long-term unemployed:
about 40% are over 50 years of age;
90.9% are women;
- 72% of the long-term unemployed have secondary education;
- 28% - secondary specialized education (mainly animal science specialty);
- 18.2% are dismissed civil servants (women of pre-retirement age) who have secondary specialized education and are not eager to look for work, since they have benefits in the amount of the average monthly wages in the last two months before dismissal and personal subsidiary farming;
- 36.4% are single mothers (including those with many children) or with dependent elderly relatives. Their unemployed status allows them to receive child benefits, housing subsidies. They also do not want to work and are not looking for work. They refuse almost all job offers.
Moreover, long-term unemployment is more typical in agricultural areas and single-industry towns, that is, places where virtually no jobs are created, while labor mobility is not encouraged in any way.
Summarizing the portrait of a long-term unemployed, it should be noted that this is:
or predominantly a woman without education aged 40-49 years or of pre-retirement age, using unemployed status to obtain subsidies for children, certificates and working part-time without registration labor relations On the market. In practice, the employment service is perceived by them as a social security agency;
or low-skilled and undisciplined workers who lead an immoral lifestyle, do not want to work themselves and no one wants to hire such workers (share of 36.3%). .
On modern stage The situation on the labor market is characterized by a steady trend of increasing demand for labor with a decrease in its supply, which has made it possible to significantly reduce tension in the labor market. The main reason for unemployment is the discrepancy between the professional and qualification structure of the available available jobs (demand) and the unemployed (supply).
In the Republic of Belarus, the level of registered unemployment in March 2016 increased by 0.1 percentage points and amounted to 1.2% of the economically active population as of April 1 (with a forecast for the end of 2016 - 2%).
For comparison: on April 1, 2015, this figure was 0.9%, on January 1, 2016 - 1%, on February 1 and March 1 - 1.1%.
Registered unemployment in the Republic of Belarus in April of this year increased by 0.1 percentage points in five regions: in Gomel, Grodno and Mogilev regions - up to 1.4%, in Brest - up to 1.3%, in Minsk - up to 1.2 %, and in the Vitebsk region the same figure remained - 1.3%. The unemployment rate in Minsk also did not change - as of April 1 it was 0.7%.
As of April 1, 2016, 53.5 thousand people were registered as unemployed - almost 1.4 times more than a year ago. Despite the fact that this year the number of registered unemployed is growing, there is a decrease in the number of requests to the employment service for assistance in finding employment and an increase in demand for labor. Thus, 57 thousand people applied to the labor, employment and social protection authorities for assistance in finding employment in January-March of this year, 47.9 thousand people were registered as unemployed (92.5% and 95.6%, respectively by January-March 2015). According to employers, as of April 1, 2016, there were 29.2 thousand available jobs in the vacancy bank - 10.2% more than on April 1, 2015. The demand for workers in blue-collar professions continued to decline and amounted to 47.6% of the total number of vacancies compared to 59.3% as of April 1 last year.
According to operational data, as of April 13 of this year, vacancies with wages over 4 million rubles. was 27.7% (a year ago - 27.2%). The share of vacancies with a salary of up to 3 million rubles. - 48.2%, from 3 million to 4 million rubles. - 24.1%, from 4 million to 6 million rubles. - 20.8%, from 6 million to 8 million rubles. - 4.6%, over 8 million - 2.3%.
According to experts, the coefficient of tension in the labor market of the republic increased from 1.5 on April 1, 2015 to 1.8 unemployed per vacancy on April 1, 2016. This figure in the Vitebsk region was 3.1, in the Brest region - 2, 8, in Minsk - 2.4, in Grodno and Mogilev - 1.7, in Gomel region and Minsk - 1.3 unemployed per vacancy. Over the three months, 0.8 thousand released workers were registered as unemployed (11.1% less than in January-March of last year).
For the implementation of the subprogram “Promotion of Employment” State program on social protection and promotion of employment for 2016-2020. this year it is planned to allocate 320.8 billion rubles, including 300.4 billion rubles. from the state extra-budgetary fund for social protection of the population.
During the implementation of the subprogram in January-March 2016, for the created jobs and existing vacancies, with the assistance of the employment service, permanent job 28.5 thousand people, of which 23.1 thousand are unemployed. Assistance was provided in finding employment for 3.7 thousand unemployed people with additional job guarantees. The employment rate of the unemployed was 25.3% of those in need of employment. Training was organized for 3.1 thousand people - 3.4% of the unemployed who needed employment. 17.7 thousand people took part in paid public works. 37 unemployed families were resettled to a new place of residence and work. Subsidies for the organization of entrepreneurial, craft activities, as well as activities in the field of agro-ecotourism were provided to 380 unemployed people. Assistance was provided in finding temporary jobs under the Youth Practice program for 172 unemployed graduates of vocational, secondary and higher education institutions, as well as those who completed training in the direction of the employment service. Adaptation to work activities was organized for 135 disabled people.
Among the main objectives of the subprogram are to ensure a balance between demand and supply of labor in the labor market; promoting the improvement of the quality of labor resources and increasing the competitiveness of the workforce; stimulating economic activity of the population, involvement in labor activity economically inactive population (disabled people, women with young children, people of retirement age and others); improving institutional, organizational and financial mechanisms to promote employment.
Postavsky was ranked first in the ranking of the most unemployed districts of Belarus. Here, at the beginning of this September, 0.8% of the economically active population, or 112 people, were officially unemployed. FINANCE.TUT.BY looked at which region of Belarus has the least number of unemployed people, and which region has the most.
Which areas are among the top most unemployed?
The first place in terms of registered unemployment is occupied by the Postavy district - 0.8% of the economically active population, or 112 officially unemployed. The second line in this indicator remained with the Kobrin district (0.7%, or 233 unemployed), and the third - with the Sennen district (0.7%, or 63 people). These data are presented in Belstat collections with reference to the labor, employment and social protection committees of the regional executive committees and the Minsk City Executive Committee.
It is noteworthy that the Chaussky district was in fourth place, where the number of unemployed increased by 183% over the year. Previously, this area often found itself in the top of the most “hard-working” areas.
Let us remind you that previously for a long time the Molodechno district was the most unemployed. At the beginning of September there were 269 unemployed people here. The registered unemployment rate was 0.5% of the economically active population.
At the same time, the leaders in the number of unemployed are Borisov district (452 people), Orsha (403), Soligorsk (356), Mozyr (307), Polotsk (281), Molodechno (269), Slutsk (254), Kobrin (233), Rechitsa (232).
