YOUTH AND EMPLOYMENT

As far back as 10 years ago the state assumed the responsibility for assignment of university and college graduates to various industries. Young people were sent to different regions of the country, often to settle down there.

In the new economic context, a great number of businesses have closed down, whereas those still operating tend to downsize. However, even those companies that do hire workers require that their work record be at least 5 years, so young people fresh from college or university do not qualify. Thus they are virtually barred from jobs and, consequently, there has been an increase in the number of youth approaching employment centers for registration.

To analyze the issue of youth employment, in April 1997, the Institute of Management carried out a sociological survey “Investigating the Factors Affecting Youth Employment”. The survey was concerned with young females certified as dressmakers.

First of all, it should be noted that some respondents who enrolled for the course of dressmaking did not really want to proceed with the trade on graduation. The survey revealed that only for 47 percent of the interviewed it was a conscious choice, whereas the rest never gave it a lot of thought. As a result, only 79 percent of the graduates were definite that they would work as dressmakers.

On graduation almost all the respondents applied to a youth employment center. At the same time all the respondents tried to find a job through their friends and acquaintances, but failed for the most part.

The key reasons for job seeking failures are:

As is evident from the above figures, the main impediments to employment were a lack of work record and adequate skills.

As a result, 23 percent of the girls managed to find a dressmaking job, 10 percent found jobs in other areas, and 67 percent were unemployed.

Now for some statistics:

Nowadays youth are the crucial factor in the political, economic and social spheres. However, youth are the most vulnerable group in the world labor market, particularly in this country. The proportion of young people among the unemployed is larger than the share of this socio-demographic group in the able-bodied population.

According to the State Committee for Statistics, as of 1995, young people aged 16 to 29 accounted for 19.5 percent of Russia’s population.

In 1995, the number of teenagers who applied to employment agencies amounted to over 1,000,000, that is, 20.6 percent of all job seekers. Of this number, students willing to work part-time accounted for 16.6 percent. These are official statistics, though.

According to opinion polls, 20 percent of Moscow teenagers have two sources of income, 10 percent earn more than their parents do, and 40 percent earn the bulk of family income.

Youth aged 18 to 24 are university students and young people who are completing or have completed professional training. They are the most vulnerable group entering the labor market as they lack professional skills and social experience and thus are less competitive. In early 1995, for example, this group accounted for 12.5 percent of all unemployed Muscovites.

By the age of 25 to 29 young people have typically decided on their careers and acquired some life experience and professional skills. Therefore this group represents the largest proportion of unemployed youth registered nationwide (19 percent).

In 1995, 5.12 million job seekers including young people aged 16 to 29 (35.8 percent) applied to the Federal Employment Service.

Over the last 3 years the number of registered unemployed youth has increased by three times, and by ten times in the eastern areas (Republic of Tuva, Khabarovsk Region, Amursk Region, etc.). On the whole, as of early 1996, the number of unemployed youth was 832,600.

As surveys show, over 50 percent of young people employed by state-owned companies combine jobs; about 25 percent earn additional income in alternative forms of employment. Young people have increasingly gone into private business: about 70 to 80 percent of businesses registered in the private sector of the national economy have been set up by people aged 25 to 30. Private owners account for 2.5 to 3.5 percent of the total number of youth.

A general decline in the nation’s living standards resulted in overemployment of students who had to work part-time after classes. In 1995, the number of such students increased by nearly four times as compared with the previous year.

Among the unemployed seeking a vacancy, every fifth person is a youth of 16 to 29.

Over the last few years youth unemployment has become stagnant. In 1992, the median unemployment period was 3 months, in 1993 – over 4 months, in 1994 – 5.4 months, in 1995 – 5.9 months.

At present an increasing number of young people believe that good education is crucial in achieving a high social and financial status, and a certain guarantee against unemployment.

Occupational training is becoming a key element of the labor market infrastructure, keeping the balance of supply and demand and largely determining the effectiveness of efforts to implement youth employment policies.

Sveta Mashkova

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