In the Vitebsk region, 12.5 thousand jobs were created in the first half of the year

July 28, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. In January-June 2010, 12.5 thousand new jobs were created in the Vitebsk region, or 50% of the annual target. This was announced by Irina Matveeva, First Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, today at a meeting of the regional board on the results of the first half of the year, according to a BELTA correspondent. Assistance in employment was provided to 18.1 thousand citizens in six months, including 11.9 thousand unemployed (the annual target was met at 51.8% and 57.6%, respectively). About 2.1 thousand people were sent for vocational training and retraining (54.3% of the plan). At the request of employers with a guarantee of subsequent employment, 735 unemployed people were trained - actually every third person from those sent for retraining. 7.4 thousand people were involved in temporary employment in the form of paid public works. Assistance in organizing entrepreneurial activities was provided to 326 unemployed people. The implementation of a wide range of measures aimed at organizing employment of the population has made it possible to maintain a stable situation in the region's labor market, noted Irina Matveeva. The registered unemployment rate as of July 1 was 1.1% of the economically active population, with a maximum permissible rate of 1.6%. The number of unemployed decreased by 7.2% compared to January-June 2009 to 6.2 thousand people. At the same time, the number of employed in the economy over the past six months increased by 3.5 thousand people compared to the same period last year, to 567.2 thousand. "The real employment rate of the population is much higher, but to see it, it is necessary to bring out of the shadows people working for individual entrepreneurs and receiving 'envelope' wages," commented Mikhail Leshchinsky, Chairman of the Committee for Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Regional Executive Committee. He also noted the weak performance of regional bodies in employing youth. "Plans for organizing employment of schoolchildren and students for summer holidays must be prepared by the end of the academic year - the time when young people are looking for and need work," he stressed. The organization of workplaces for disabled people in the districts was also criticized. "The funds allocated for these purposes are not being utilized, as the managers responsible for this matter and local officials simply do not know how to employ people in this category," emphasized Mikhail Leshchinsky, advising to show a creative approach and study the experience of the Postavy and Glubokoye districts in employing disabled people. -0-