The number of vacancies is almost double the number of unemployed in the Vitebsk region

In the Vitebsk region, as in the country as a whole, the share of the economically active population is growing, and the number of vacancies consistently exceeds the number of unemployed. These and other aspects of the implementation of the decree on promoting employment were discussed at a seminar at the regional executive committee with the participation of the Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus, Irina Kostevich.

The Minister emphasized that the tasks set by Decree No. 1 "On Promoting Employment" for various services, structures, and departments are common – ensuring employment and an individual approach to each person, as well as preventing social tension.

She also noted that the situation in the republic's labor market is gradually improving. In January-March 2018, the rate of decline in the economically active population was 99.7% compared to the same period last year. In the Vitebsk region, this figure was 96.7% in January 2017, and by the end of the first quarter of the current year, it was 98.9%.

Another important criterion for assessing the state of the labor market is labor turnover. Ideally, the number of people hired should slightly exceed the number of those dismissed.

In the Vitebsk region, the situation is close to this: in January-March 2018, 104.2% of employees were dismissed compared to the corresponding period, and 111.2% were hired. Unfortunately, the Vitebsk region still leads in forced part-time employment; however, while it was observed in 238 organizations last year, it was in 130 in the first quarter of 2018.

The registered unemployment rate as of May 1 in Belarus was 0.5%, and in the Vitebsk region, it was 0.7%. By the way, the number of vacancies is almost twice the number of unemployed, and a similar situation exists not only in the Vitebsk region but also in other regions of the country.

– The tasks of the heads of local executive and administrative bodies include conducting an active employment promotion policy, stimulating labor employment and self-employment, as well as supporting entrepreneurial initiative, ensuring the legalization of labor activities, – emphasized Irina Kostevich.

The seminar also noted that by December 1 of the current year, the creation of a database of able-bodied citizens not employed in the economy will be completed. It is planned that the pilot version will be ready by September 1.

According to Irina Anatolyevna, a list of difficult life situations is currently being compiled, which will serve as grounds for excluding able-bodied citizens not employed in the country's economy from the database. She urged the seminar participants to share their experience in this area. Then these recommendations will be sent to the commissions for further use in their work.

The Minister also recalled that able-bodied citizens not employed in the economy, who are included in the list, will, from January 1, 2019, pay in full for the costs of providing services – hot water supply, and from October 1, 2019 – gas supply in the presence of individual gas heating appliances and heat supply.

An important point: they will fully reimburse the costs of housing and communal services only if they are owners, tenants or lessees of residential premises, members of a developer organization, equity holders who have concluded a shared construction agreement, or lessees.