MOSCOW, March 10, 2010. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data concerning the assessment of labor market by Russians. Is a threat of being dismissed still urgent? What are respondents ready to do for the sake of getting new job? How do they assess measures directed against tension on labor market?
The problem of unemployment is still urgent for our fellow-citizens (the percentage of people who discuss it rose from 47 to 51%). The participants of such discussions are workers without higher education (57%) and low-income respondents (61%). Those who ignore the conversations about unemployment are in the minority (from 16 to 11%). Businessmen, public servants, qualified workers (16-17%), well-to-do Russians (23%) prefer not participate in these conversations. There is the same number of those who don't care about unemployment even in conversations (31-33%).
In fact the percentage of those who have many acquaintances losing their gob is persistently decreasing during several months. The rate was maximal in April of 2009 (26%), now it is only 17%. The majority of our citizens don't have many such acquaintances (37%). 40% of respondents declare that nobody of their acquaintances lost job (32% in April 2009) during last several months, among them the inhabitants of towns (50%)and servicemen (46%).
At the same time the threat of being dismissed is still serious for Russians. The integral index fixing the probability of dismissals in February of 2010 was 33 points. In comparison with November-December 2009 it numbered 30 points (it is a minimum in 2009). In February 2009 index was maximal (48 points). The higher index is the more possible new dismissals are. Last year tension on labor markets fell. However at the beginning of 2010 it began to rise. The growth of index in December-February is explained by the increase of number of Russians who consider dismissal to be very probable (from 18 to 23%) and the decrease of those who don't afraid of dismissals (from 34 to 29%).
Index of job placement is one more integral index presenting ideas of Russians about the opportunities of finding a new equivalent job in the case of losing the previous one - doesn't change from summer 2009. The higher index is the easier it is for people to find a job. Min the meanwhile index keeps 47-48 points. Before the crisis in October 2008 index was higher (61%). In Russians' opinion it was more complicated to get job in March-April of 2009 - the minimal rate was 39 points. As a result it became easier to search for job in summer of last year but till now situation doesn't improve.
Russians changed their mind about strategies of getting job in the case of dismissal. More popular strategy is getting retrained (from 23 to 26%). There is extremely high interest to starting own business (17%). Such ways of finding job as moving to another town (from 23 to 17%), less qualified job (from 21 to 16%), job with lower salary (from 19 to 15%) are less attractive. Other methods to easy job placement are work without official registration (24%) and casual earnings (18%). Unpopular strategies are moving in other parts of the country (10%) or abroad (7%).
Monitoring of effectiveness of regional programs against tension on labor market
The participants of public works are better aware of measures against tension on labor market than respondents joining in the program of express professional training: the number of those who know about the program of promoting small entrepreneurship and self-placement are 53% in the first group and 49% in the second group, about the program of moving - 49% and 44%.
The work of placement services is highly assessed in target audiences (participants of self-placement program, public workers, participants of express professional trainings). Respondents included in the program of self-placement (93%) are very content.
Two thirds of respondents participated in the program of express professional training notice its high quality (66%). Every third respondent think that received knowledge and skills can be applied with restrictions (31%). Those who consider the quality of education to be bad are in the minority (2%).
For the majority of respondents who take part in public works this program is an opportunity to earn money (84%). The less important sides of this activity are an opportunity to get acquainted with potential employer (7%) and a way to look aside (6%).
The initiative Russian opinion poll was conducted on February 20-21, 2010. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 140 sampling points in 42 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.4 %.
The opinion poll of target audiences was conducted on November 2009. 12600 respondents were interviewed. The margin of error does not exceed 0.89 %.
Do you and your family, friends, colleagues discuss the problems of unemployment, do you participate in these discussions? (закрытый close-ended question, one answer) | |||||||||||||||
October 2008 | November 2008 | December 2008 | January 2009 | March 2009 | April 2009 | May 2009 | June 2009 | July 2009 | August 2009 | September 2009 | October 2009 | November 2009 | December 2009 | February 2010 | |
We discuss it, I participate in discussions | 41 | 48 | 57 | 58 | 66 | 62 | 60 | 60 | 62 | 57 | 48 | 53 | 52 | 47 | 51 |
I don't participate in discussions | 9 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 11 |
No, we don't discuss | 47 | 39 | 28 | 25 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 27 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 33 | 33 |
Hard to tell | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Do you have relatives, acquaintances who lost their job during last 2-3 months? (close-ended question, one answer) | |||||||||||||||
October 2008 | December 2008 | January 2009 | February 2009 | March 2009 | April 2009 | May 2009 | June 2009 | July 2009 | August 2009 | September 2009 | October 2009 | November 2009 | December 2009 | February 2010 | |
Yes, a lot of | 10 | 12 | 14 | 22 | 21 | 26 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
Yes, 2 or 3 persons | 25 | 34 | 36 | 41 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 42 | 40 | 38 | 37 | 40 | 38 | 37 |
No | 62 | 49 | 44 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 35 | 34 | 36 | 37 | 41 | 42 | 42 | 40 |
Hard to tell | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
In your opinion is there any possibility that in 2 or 3 months you can lose your job or not? (close-ended question, one answer) | ||||||||||||||||
October 2008 | November 2008 | December 2008 | January 2009 | February 2009 | March 2009 | April 2009 | May 2009 | June 2009 | July 2009 | August 2009 | September 2009 | October 2009 | November 2009 | December 2009 | February 2010 | |
Sure it will happen | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
It is quite possible | 15 | 24 | 48 | 27 | 35 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 23 |
It is possible but hardly | 30 | 28 | 13 | 35 | 7 | 22 | 32 | 33 | 35 | 38 | 35 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 35 | 39 |
It is practically impossible | 31 | 24 | 30 | 26 | 23 | 22 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 34 | 29 |
Hard to tell | 22 | 23 | 6 | 8 | 31 | 32 | 18 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 5 |
Index* | 33 | 39 | 44 | 36 | 48 | 40 | 36 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 35 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 30 | 33 |
If you lose your job will it be hard or not to find equivalent one? (close-ended question, one answer) | |||||||||||||||
October 2008 | December 2008 | January 2009 | February 2009 | March 2009 | April 2009 | May 2009 | June 2009 | July 2009 | August 2009 | September 2009 | October 2009 | November 2009 | December 2009 | February 2010 | |
I will easily find equivalent job | 26 | 14 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 |
Making some efforts I will find equivalent job | 30 | 30 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 27 |
Making every efforts I will hardly find equivalent job | 25 | 34 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 30 | 38 | 36 | 39 | 34 | 36 | 38 | 36 | 38 | 37 |
It is almost impossible | 8 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 25 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 14 |
Hard to tell | 12 | 8 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 18 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 10 |
Index ** | 61 | 49 | 41 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 48 | 47 |
In the case of losing job what will you choose? (close-ended question, one answer) | ||||||||||||
January 2007 | March 2008 | January 2009 | May 2009 | June 2009 | July 2009 | August 2009 | September 2009 | October 2009 | November 2009 | December 2009 | February 2010 | |
Get retrained | 8 | 8 | 18 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 26 |
Find job without official registration | 24 | 21 | 20 | 29 | 26 | 28 | 24 | 26 | 29 | 25 | 24 | 24 |
Have unstable casual earnings | 7 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 20 | 17 | 15 | 20 | 18 |
Get equivalent job in other town | 10 | 4 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 17 |
To start business | 7 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 17 |
Get less qualified job in other sphere | 21 | 19 | 12 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 16 |
Get job with lower salary | 10 | 8 | 14 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 15 |
Get job in any place of the country | 14 | 16 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 10 |
Get job abroad | 17 | 21 | 14 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
Don't like all of variants | 10 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 13 |
Hard to tell | 8 | 15 | 26 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 8 |
* index of dismissal's probability allows to assess how possible it seems to Russians to be dismissed. The higher it is the more probable dismissal is seemed to out fellow-citizens
**index of job placement allows to assess how possible it seems to Russians to get equivalent job in the case of losing job. The higher it is the more probable it seems to get equivalent job in the case of dismissal
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