Leanid Zaika: Lukashenka’s Promises Look Ridiculous

According to the expert, a lot of people in the country could be left without work.

Well-known economist Leanid Zaika told Salidarnasts whether it would be easy for officials to create 50 thousand new jobs in Belarus.

During his visit to Dziarzhynsk District Aliaksandr Lukashenka encouraged Belarusians by promising to guarantee the jobs for graduates and to create 50 thousand new jobs in 2016. How this will affect the Belarusian labor market?

– You see, there are more than 4.5 million employees in Belarus, so the creation of 50 thousand new jobs is only about 1%, – Leonid Zaika commented. – Therefore, Lukashenka and Prime Minister’s promises, that they will create these jobs, look ridiculous. That is, we have to add another one to one hundred employed who earn $ 320. Is that a lot? Well, an official might hire a second secretary or a new assistant. It is quite possible to do by the efforts of the nomenclature.

According to experts, many more people in the country, on the contrary, might be left out of work.

– After entering the EAEC our export to Russia fell by 30% and by 20% – to the global economy. So, we can assume that the rationalization of jobs should be about 12-15%. This is the number of people that you want to cut for the Belarusian economy to be consistent with external demand, and to be profitable.

But these people have not been dismissed – the officials are waiting and thinking what to do with them. This means that everything is still ahead, – the expert summed up.