Unemployment hitting prestigious posts as well

It is not only simple workers who are confronting unemployment, but the leading elite. In the Kyiv Employment Centre during the first three months of this year, the newspaper “Segodnya” reports, dozens of higher-placed officials registered as out of work.

Examples given include a former first Deputy Minister of Health, an ex-Deputy Minister of Employment, civil servants in the parliamentary offices, the Anti-Monopoly Committee, the SBU [Security Service[, and others.  In the Kyiv Employment Centre around 30% of those registered formally held middle or higher positions.

Those long unemployed have to take part in community work in order to receive a benefit. In the employment centre they are adamant that those who formally held high positions are treated the same as everybody else, and also sweep streets, plant trees, paint fences etc. They mention also that there have been occasions where they have had to take jobs with a very considerable drop in salary.

The Centre says that there are 12.5 thousand people registered unemployed in the city, but that this is only the official figure. According to experts’ estimates there are around 100 thousand people in Kyiv who do not have a steady income.

During February employment centres throughout the country registered 103 thousand new unemployed. According to the State Employment Service, that was a third less than for January.

As of 1 March 1.03 million people had official unemployed status, although the Federation of Trade Unions believes the figure to be one and a half times higher.

From a report at www.newsru.ua