As the crisis in Ukraine drags on, figures from the States Statistics Service of Ukraine reveals that 9.6% were unemployed in the first quarter of 2015 compared with 7.6% the year before. The areas most affected by the fighting have seen above average unemployment with Donetsk seeing 14.4% out of work and Lugansk having a rate of 15.3%. This compares unfavourably with the year before which saw unemployment at 9.1% and 8.4% in both areas respectfully.
It comes as volatility in Ukraine, as well as strained relations with Russia, have caused Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to fall as much as 17.2% in the first quarter of this year. It has lead to fears of 1.3 million people being internally displaced—a quarter of whom are of working age, which the International Labour Organization (ILO) believes is harming its much-needed economic reform.
Speaking about what needs to be done, Antonio Graziosi, Director—Central and Eastern Europe Decent Work Team Country Office, ILO stated, “It is the opinion of the ILO that active labour market policies improving labour market information, skills match and labour mediation should be complemented with stronger attention towards the overall impact of economic and fiscal reforms on the quantity and quality of jobs.”
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
