Unemployment in Belarus persists after May 1st 2017 deadline

The Labour Minister announced that all unemployed who were looking for a job had found one as of May 1^st, 2017. In April, more than 85 000 people found jobs. In late March there were 43,400 unemployed registered. In order to ensure jobs, the Ministry has increased the volume of paid public works. Official unemployment is likely to decrease as of May 1^st,2017, however, not to 0%. The number of hired workers in the following months may exceed the number of those laid off due to seasonal jobs and additional jobs created by May 1^st to fulfil the president’s task. Excessive employment in the economy is likely to continue, albeit the pace of layoffs is likely to reduce. Zero unemployment rate in Belarus is hardly attainable due to the existence of single-industry towns, which have no jobs to offer and due to the inelaborate internal labour migration, which could help to smooth the uneven demand for labour force in different regions of Belarus.