According to a recent poll by Segodnya, 52% of Ukrainians consider the option of leaving the country for good to work and live abroad.
Poll: The majority of Ukrainians want to work abroad
In addition to 52% of respondents who would love to leave for good to work and live abroad, 13% of survey participants want to spend a few years in a foreign country to earn enough money and then come back to Ukraine.
4% would love to work for 1-2 month through seasonal employment.
Less than third of Ukrainians who took part in the online poll in July 2018 (31%) said they didn’t think about emigration and working abroad.
Ukrainians working in foreign countries
Because of extremely low wages, Ukraine is slowly turning into a country of working migrants. Average monthly wages in the second quarter of 2018 (April-June) were 8781 hryvnia per month ($308), according to the government’s statistical service Ukrstat.
The number seems lower even though the nominal value had grown from 7974 UAH, which was the average wage in the first quarter of the year. The reason for the is the adjustment in the UAH-USD exchange rate, which diminishes the purchasing power and growth in wages.
Similar trend is happening in Russia, where wages keep growing but people aren’t becoming any richer. In fact, they complain that they can buy less on these larger salaries than was possible before.
That’s the reason why there are currently 2 Ukrainians leaving the country to work abroad every minute.
Poland, which has been the fastest growing economy in Europe, has benefited from labour migrants from Ukraine. Wages in Poland are 3-4 times higher even for menial, unqualified jobs.
Patriotism in Ukraine seems to be all times low, with so many people considering working in other countries, for a period of time or attempting to emigrate and never come back.
In comparison, Russian people are still rather patriotic, with a much lower share of respondents who express desire to emigrate. The desire to emigrate is more pronounced in young Russians, while in Ukraine it seems to permeate all ages.
Read also:
- 1 in 3 Russians aged 18-24 wants to immigrate
- Which countries Ukrainians would choose to immigrate
- Migration of Ukrainian workers abroad pushes inflation up
- 11% of Russians want to immigrate: Top 5 preferred countries for immigration
It is sad.
They deserve better than end up as cleaners, dishwashers, harverters, whatever abroad.
Robert, at the end of the day,everybody deserves what they have.
Well said Elena!!!
Exactly right. There are people in the USA that complain of low wage they make and a dead end job. The solution is so simple. Improve your skills and become in demand and your standard of living will rise.
In other words, you deserve what you have. If you are not willing to put in the effort to improve yourself, don’t complain if your life doesn’t change for the better.
John, as the saying goes, some people hate you for what you have, while they did no work to get the same results for themselves.
Elena! I am meritist. But against cronyism and nepotism, spoils system. And mostly in planet Earth exists the last three. Basically agree with you, but we do not live in an ideal world. So dislike very much when talented, skillful, and worthy people struck in low level (and poverty), because the system, and public mentality block their ways, while advantaged groups (in the absence of merits) get certifications, permissions, wealth, and leading positions. 3 life experience from England: 1. The Indian cleaner was able to understang the medical reality: forbidden to move after a sampling from the spine (with a… Read more »
Robert, If a person is capable and educated and applies to be a cleaner, he deserves it. Don’t put it on other people, put it on yourself. You are the one who asks for this job and agrees to do it. Look at scientists in any western country: Where are they from? All over the world. Look at political leadership: How diverse are their national backgrounds? The facts don’t match your picture. USA’s First Lady is a foreigner. In Australia, there was a huge scandal recently as many members of parliament were foreigners by birth and found ineligible to sit,… Read more »
In modern Russia have more meritocratic aspect, than in most European countries. Australia is a fortress in many aspects. You grow up differently, and lived different places, so experiences differ. You have capabilities, forged your path, became successful, and upkeep it hardworking. This determines opinion. For people to be in place what they deserve is (determined by experiences) called exceptional by me, and a system, where it is rule and standard called utopistic. So I always choose persons (mostly freelancers) who have the capabilities, but rarely presented by opportunity. They get an opportunity, and from that point that is true:… Read more »
Robert, and workers from Ukraine were cheaper, right?
I grew up in the USSR and I know people don’t need to be handed an opportunity. People are able to create their own. Internet opened up the world. The ones who want it badly enough, go and get it.
I understand you think you know better what people from the countries of the former USSR need and want, than the people who lived there 🙂 it’s typical