Youth Unemployment in Russia: Causes and Effects

Everyone knows that it is impossible to live a normal life without a job and money. And no doubts that young people are not an exception to the rule, and they also cannot do without means of subsistence. But as for the youth, so they certainly can live within only their parents’ means, they can cadge them pin money to the end of time. I have heard much that such a system does not work in the USA and Europe, as parents there do not want their precious offspring to be dependants and parasites all their life, that’s why they turn them out of their home soon after their coming of age.

Thereby young people in the Western world start looking for a job, living from hand to mouth very often, as they cannot find an appropriate job. In Russia such a system when young people continue living within their parents’ expenses right up to the age of 25, 27 or something about that is widespread enough.

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You may fancy that is because of the Russians’ idleness.

Well, that is true but only in part. One way or another but both young people in the Western world and Russia face very often one and the same serious problem: they just cannot get a job. According to the official statistics youth unemployment in Russia is about 27%, it is much higher than the average rate in the world, which is about 12%. On my essay I would like to write about the current situation in Russia, to examine causes of youth unemployment in this country, and to define any possible effects it can lead to.

There are a number of causes of youth unemployment, which ultimately result in negative consequences for Russia’s economy and social life. In the first place, the economy in Russia is still much weaker than in developed Western countries. And the recession of 2009 has not played in Russia’s favor. In fact the workplaces in the country are simply not being created. In the second place, there is a really weak link between educational institutes and the real job market, hence a lot of graduates have qualifications incompatible to the requirements of employers.

Young people do not get any practical skills during their education which employers look for. And that practice that they get is too insignificant to be enough for employers. In the third place, the problem of the growing youth unemployment becomes even more complicated by the fact that Russian youth has a very high level of education. Nowadays about 90% of school-leavers choose university education. Some youngsters get several university-level educations. But the whole point is that Russia does not need so many lawyers, economists, journalists with university diplomas. Eventually such people have no other choice but to be retrained for needed blue collar jobs or to continue being albatrosses around their parents’ necks. But naturally nobody wants to do manual labor, as it is not regarded as prestigious in Russia to be carpenters, turners, locksmiths, factory workers. Hence one more cause of youth unemployment follows: some of Russian young people are too choosy.

They do not show high activity and flexibility in job searches. They are not satisfied with proposed salaries, expecting that their years of torments at universities have to cost much more. They can be understood of course but taking into account the fact that many qualified specialists with years of experience get scanty earnings in Russia, such fastidious young people could be grateful for small favors. At least for the first few years till they get some job experience. Besides, there is one more cause of youth unemployment which hits almost every graduate looking for a job. Most of employers do not want to take the risk and they are afraid to hire inexperienced young people. Young people should be trained, and consequently it means only extra troubles and costs for employers. On the one hand it is not a problem to get employers’ misgivings: young employees terrify them with their labor habits, ethics, inability to speak, to write, to work.

That is why they claim their applicants to have 2, 3 or even 5 years of experience. But on the other hand how is it possible to get any decent work experience while you get your education? It is not enough that working will affect the quality of education, but more often it is just impossible to combine work with study. In addition due to the lack of adequate work experience the young workers are often the first to be laid off during personnel cut. To sum up everything written above I should note that no doubts there are much more causes of youth unemployment in Russia, but I am of opinion that I have mentioned the most significant ones. It should be observed that the high rate of unemployment in our country has a whole number of negative repercussions.

And only a few of them are hard drinking and drug addiction (especially in rural areas because of shortcoming of jobs), not dropping brain drain, increasing crime rate. And the last but not the least point is that the whole generation, the so called future of Russia, finds itself overboard the society. And these people will not lead the normal life till there will not be an adequate education satisfying employers’ requirements, till blue collar jobs will not be paid as well as white collar jobs, till employers will not save money on personnel trainings. All in all it is not so easy to live nowadays: we never will be able to get an apartment for the excellent work at the factory. In our time everything depends on you, it is up to you to do your best in order not to be unemployed. Just follow the rule “it’s the squeaky wheel that gets the grease” and perfect yourself all your life.