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The great inflow of labor force from other towns and from abroad is a serious problem in Moscow. Every day thousands of newcomers attack the capital searching for better lot. Since the competition in the labor market is increasing the Muscovites get greatly irritated with this fact. For the last years Moscow has become a city of business and trade. The majority of human resources are engaged in trade and public catering (about 17%), then in industry (14%), building (12%) and transport (9%).
Just these fields of economy involve from 50 to 70 thousand foreigners from abroad and from former Soviet Republics. This process is highly regulated: the Moscow businessmen place their orders with the Enlisting Foreign Labor Committee. Foreigners from far abroad (i.e. not from the former Soviet Republics) usually work as representatives of the appropriate companies or in restaurant business. The Ukrainians and the Moldavians are offered jobs in transport and building businesses which are considered to be not attractive for the Muscovites.
As for the inhabitants in other regions of Russia they are difficult to take stock of, and just these people include a greatest amount of illegal labor force (from 300 up to 500 thousand people). They are engaged in building and trade and they all agree to work without any contract. This is playing into the employer's hands because an illegal worker can be paid less money and his wage may not be paid out in time. Besides, not having the contract the worker can not defend his rights. But even these cut-down wages are much higher than those they can earn in their regions. Moreover, Moscow keeps one-fifth of all vacancies registered by the Employment Service in Russia. And only one third of them include the wages of more than 4000 rubles a month. That is why people in Moscow are not eager to get these jobs.
Apart from the foreigners and people from the Russian provinces Moscow places in jobs 750,000 people from Moscow Regions. At the same time 250,000 Muscovites go to work to localities near Moscow, usually to the industrial enterprises. This exchange of labor resources within the Moscow region is called a migration pendulum.
There is nothing new in the fact that the megalopolis is attractive from view of earning money. The same pattern is observed abroad too. However, labor migration here and abroad differ. For example, in France it is the migration of professions. That means that if in Paris there are too many auditors and Marseilles has got vacancies, a Parisians will easily go to live to Marseilles because living standard and earnings in Marseilles are the same. This can not be said of Russia. Even Central Russia the average earnings do not reach $ 120 that is twice lower than in Moscow. Therefore, it is quite natural that the mass of people will be keeping their way to Moscow until the earnings in the regions become close those in Moscow.
Unemployment has a woman's face
Another peculiarity of the Moscow labor market is a stable share of woman's unemployment in the total number of the unemployed; this share has reached 75% in last years. As a rule the unemployed are women over 40 having higher education. Despite 10 years have passed since the beginning of the economic reforms in Russia the majority of the unemployed are still remaining at the level of Soviet period. They are the woman, engineers and technologists, who got education in the Soviet period and by 50 years of age they have reached a critical boundary when it is very difficult for them to find work unless they improve their qualification or acquire another profession. Very often they are offered courses bearing a relation to their former profession: for example, if a woman was an economist then she, more likely, knows accounting, and, therefore, has a better chance to get the job of a junior accountant. Of course, not all of our women manage to make use of their education in the new labor market. These unemployed women are also tested to help them to show their gifts for this or that work and thus get a new job. And having been taught a new profession means the increase of competitiveness of the applicant in the labor market.
A peculiarity that distinguishes Moscow from most European capitals is a low level of youth's unemployment. The share of unemployed young people is about 10-15% while in Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and France it is over 50% of the total unemployed population. The explanation is that our employers always welcome young people rather than those over 40 (this age limit is usually indicated in ads). Therefore, to find a job for young people is not so great problem in Russian.
Industry should revive
A great problem in Moscow is incompleteness of personnel for Moscow businesses. The situation is that engineers, technicians and workers are growing old and young people do not want to take these jobs. Many enterprises now are reviving, developing and therefore they need fresh labor forces. The shortage of machine operators, fitters, turners, etc., is a stable tendency of the recent years.
There is still a great need for programmers, economists and lawyers. Professions in some particular fields are also welcomed.
In Russia today's graduates are basically general specialists with no specialization in this or that field. So the education system does not satisfy today's economy requirements and should be changed. The reforms in education should conform with tendencies of the labor market.
Reference:
Last year over 200 thousand inhabitants of Moscow found jobs with the help of the placement service, 12 thousand unemployed took courses in industrial training, 165 thousand people availed themselves of professional guidance and psychological help, 45 thousand unemployed took part in social works, and 42 thousand teenagers were given temporary jobs. During the last year 90 thousand registered unemployed got different types of pecuniary aid, unemployment allowance including. All that made it possible to keep one of the most important social indices, namely the level of registered unemployment, i.e. the number of unemployed in the whole number of economically active population, at the low level (0.6%) which is much lower than in most world's capitals and megalopolises.
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