The unemployment rate in the Vitebsk region decreased to 0.5%

As reported by Alexander Khristoforov, Chairman of the Committee for Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Regional Executive Committee, the Vitebsk region as a whole is meeting the forecast indicators in the sphere of employment promotion.

For example, over six months, more than 3.1 thousand people were employed through the creation of new production facilities and enterprises, which is almost 2% above the semi-annual target. As for the indicator of the proportion of employed citizens who applied to employment services, the overfulfillment was more than 10 percentage points.

The positive dynamics in several aspects should not be a cause for complacency. The employment situation varies from district to district.

In each of the districts, there are many problems, the solutions to which must be turned into development opportunities. This thesis became the leitmotif of a recent video conference at the regional executive committee, chaired by Vladimir Terentyev, Chairman of the Regional Council of Deputies.

Thus, the list of territories with a tense labor market situation, approved by the government for this year, includes 13 districts of the Vitebsk region and two cities of regional subordination (Vitebsk, Novopolotsk). More than half of these regions managed to improve the situation compared to the beginning of the year, while in Sennensky and Shumilinsky districts, according to the indicators, the situation has worsened, which led to a critical analysis of the causes and discussion of measures taken to reverse negative trends.

In Sennensky district, the registered unemployment rate increased to 0.9%. There is a problem of forced part-time employment.

According to Mikhail Vilyuga, Chairman of the District Council of Deputies, it is linked to disruptions in the operation of the "Sennensky" production workshop, which is part of the Orsha Dairy Plant. According to the management of the Vitebsk concern "Meat and Dairy Products," which includes the enterprise, the employment of workers is currently ensured, including for the future.

Nevertheless, the district authorities need to intensify their activities with potential investors and existing economic entities to create new jobs against the backdrop of the optimization of a number of organizations and the completion of the seasonal work period.

This is the main labor market problem in the Shumilino district as well, where out of 45 planned new jobs for the half-year, only 23 have been created. As explained by Irina Novikova, head of the District Council of Deputies, some enterprises established since the beginning of the year have not yet reached their declared indicators for hiring specialists, but they promise to compensate for the shortcomings in the second half of the year.

Local authorities are actively cooperating with economic entities to create additional jobs

In addition, measures are being taken to reduce the level of registered unemployment, especially since there are almost 100 vacancies for 40 people registered with the employment service. In these and other areas, the district has potential, the realization of which will allow it to overcome the current situation, assured Irina Novikova.

One of the key indicators of the effectiveness of local authorities' work is the employment of citizens in jobs created at new production facilities and enterprises. In this regard, the situation is worst in the Gluboksky (25.5% of the half-year target), Gorodoksky (56.4%), and Shumilino (51.1%) districts. And here the main reserve is the stimulation of citizens' business initiative and the creation of favorable conditions for entrepreneurship.

Thus, according to the report of the Chairperson of the Glubokoye District Council of Deputies, Galina Unukovich, 12 jobs were created in July at the retail company "Produktocha", the sanatorium-resort complex "Plissa" additionally hired 5 people. CJSC "Kuptsov" is entering the raw material procurement season, which will result in temporary employment for 65 people. In addition, a private enterprise will organize pellet production at the local PMK.

"Vitebskiye vesti". Photo from the newspaper's archive.