RELOCATING FOR WORK
Written by Mariam Papidze
The FINANCIAL, Georgia
Oct 31 2011
The FINANCIAL — Natela Kuliani moved from Gori to Rome in search of
a better job. More than 20 years have passed since then and she is
still working as a nurse in Italy, 2529,87 km away from Georgia. The
reason is that she couldn’t find a job in her country and as her
family was financially poor, she decided to try to help her family
however possible.
“My friend helped me to find a job in Italy. She lives and works here.
So she knew of a vacancy and offered me the chance of a job. As
she works as a nurse, she recommended the same work for me,” said
Natela Kuliani. “My salary is 1,000 EUR a month. I don’t pay for
accommodation, utility fees or transport as the family whom I work
for pays all these fees. I look after a very nice old lady, who isn’t
unwell, just doesn’t want to live alone and needs attention. I have
my own elderly mother in Georgia who is very ill, she has cancer. I’m
very unhappy as I am looking after this Italian woman and not my own
mother. But this is the only way to help her. As I don’t have to pay
any fees, I send almost the whole of my salary amount to my family,”
added Kuliani.
Natela Kuliani is one of those who left Georgia due to unemployment.
Out of 19,449 people which are the active population (labour force),
16% were unemployed in 2010 according to the National Statistics
Office of Georgia. The unemployment rate increased in 2007 as in
2004 only 12% was unemployed. The Subsistence Minimum for a working
age male is 156 GEL in 2011. It is exactly the low wages and high
unemployment rate which have caused migration from Georgia. With a
population of 4,436,400, Georgia saw immigration of just 18% in 2010.
Migration of so many professionals, so many productive workers – how
can it impact on a country’s economy and in general how harmful is
it for the country? Muhammad Asali, ISET Professor, Ph.D., Columbia
University, 2008, believes that it really does hurt the economy.
“This phenomenon is known as “Brain Drain”, when the more skilled
people emigrate–I.e., leave their country of residence and citizenship
heading to a more advanced country. This phenomenon, mostly observed
in developing countries (in Asia, Eastern Europe, India and Africa),
is potentially very harmful to the economy, since it is about a
“selective migration”, where the skilled workers are the ones who
leave. These are the very people with whom the country can develop
and become a better place,” said Asali.
“Not only is this a harmful phenomenon, but it is also self-sustained;
the vicious circle goes as follows: skilled workers emigrate because
there are no good opportunities for them in the country of origin:
no job offers, low wages, high unemployment, job possibilities not
matching their skills and abilities. Once they leave, however, all
these problems become worse–because the potential driving force of
development (skilled and educated workers) are not there anymore,
infrastructure and opportunities deteriorate–rendering additional
waves of out migration,” added Asali.
“Stopping emigration is a big question. However, the easiest way to
approach the problem is to look at its sources: scarce opportunities
for skilled workers and for development. So, if the government takes
actions to improve these, by providing more suitable jobs, paying
higher salaries, offering the needed network and infrastructure,
investing in education and health, and embracing and rewarding its
skilled labour, the problem can be mitigated. Not only that, but
the new resulting economy and the spurred growth might also invite
migrants back to their homeland and even other non-natives, turning
the wheel backward, and achieving what we call a “Brain Gain”; all
leading to an improved and flourishing economy,” said Asali.
Economist Davit Papuashvili considers that moving from one’s home
country to another one for a job is not the right decision. “People
should go to other countries for better education, to be more skilled
in their professions. Then they must come back to their countries and
use all their gained knowledge and experience in their own countries.
Emigration is a process when the country loses mental resources,
which impacts the country’s economy negatively. The country should
focus on keeping its competitive and talented people in the country,”
said Davit Papuashvili.
According to the 2010 Caucasus Barometer (CB), 64% of Armenians would
leave Armenia for a certain period, while fewer Azerbaijanis – 52%,
and Georgians – 47%, would do the same. CRRC data also shows that
Armenians are more willing to permanently leave their country – 29%,
than the Azerbaijanis – 17%, and Georgians – 7%.
Interestingly, ethnic Armenians within Georgia alone are also more
likely to permanently emigrate from the country than the other
internal ethnic groups. 42% of the ethnic Armenian population in
Georgia reported desire to leave Georgia forever compared to 7%
of ethnic Azerbaijanis and 6% of ethnic Georgians within the country.
Additionally, there is a pattern in which people who have travelled
abroad are more inclined to emigrate in all three countries. Nearly
eight-in-ten Azerbaijanis, 78% who have once travelled abroad, would
temporarily leave the country followed by 71% who travelled abroad
twice or more, and 48% for those who have never travelled abroad.
Similarly, 71% Armenians who have been abroad at least once are more
interested in temporary migration than their compatriots who have never
travelled, 48%, outside Armenia. Again, Georgians favour temporary
migration the least, but still follow the same pattern in which those
who reported at least one trip outside Georgia are more interested in
emigrating temporarily than the Georgians who have never been abroad.
Across the euro zone, the average unemployment rate is 9.9%. In the
US, 9.4% of job seekers moved for new jobs in the first half of 2011,
according to data compiled by Challenger, Gray & Christmas. This is
up significantly from 7.6% a year ago.
According to the statistics provided by the National Bank of Georgia ,
Russia leads the donor countries in terms of money transfers. Greece,
Italy, the United States and Ukraine follow Russia in terms of
money transfers to Georgia. The majority of immigrants are residing
in Russia.
From: A. Papazian
http://finchannel.com/Main_News/Jobs/96645_Relocating_for_Work/