Category: Author’s post
Statistics Office reports a 10.9% surge of Georgia’s average monthly earnings in Q3 to $731.92
As the National Statistics Office said on Monday, average monthly nominal earnings in Georgia raised by 10.9 percent (₾201.3 ($71.64) in the third quarter of 2024, compared to the same quarter in the previous year, and reached a total of ₾2,056.7 ($731.92).
According to the Office, the information and communication sector offered the highest monthly earnings (₾3,976.9 ($1,415.27) on average, showing an increase of 0.5 percent from last year). Then followed construction, (₾3,198.2 ($1,138.15) on average, up 5.4 percent), financial and insurance sector (₾3,186.6 ($1,134.02), up 13.5 percent),
professional, scientific, and technical sectors (₾3,062.9 ($1,090), up 17.1 percent).
Average earnings at ₾1,650.6 ($587.40) for women and ₾2,451 ($872.24) for men make the earnings gap between genders prevalent. An annual earnings growth is ₾191.5 ($68.15), or 13.1 percent, for women and ₾217 ($77.22), or 9.7 percent for men.
An increase in the business sector is 9.1 percent, (the average earnings attained ₾2,190.1 ($779.40). A decrease of 0.2 percent in the information and communication sector made the earnings fall to ₾4,065.8 ($1446.90), while an increase of 16.9 percent, averaging ₾3,500.5 ($1,245.73), was recorded in professional, scientific, and technical sectors.
Meanwhile, a 14.8 percent increase was seen by employees in the non-business and financial sectors, making their average earnings attain ₾1,813.5 ($645.37). Financial and insurance activities are the leaders in this domain.
The leaders in average earnings are the capital city of Tbilisi and the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region of the country.
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Read moreMore than 13,000 foreigners work in Kazakhstan
The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population reports that 13,743 foreign citizens are currently working legally in Kazakhstan.
Most of them are managers and their deputies (564 and 2,585 permits issued for heads of structural subdivisions, respectively). The majority of the foreign workers are specialists (4,913) and skilled workers (999). Seasonal work and corporate transfers attracted 1,186 and 3,496 people respectively.
Foreign citizens work for 1,744 employers in Kazakhstan (a total workforce of 388,000 Kazakhs, 96.5% of the total number of employees).
Construction (5,390 people), manufacturing industry (1,455 people), mining and quarrying (1,335 people), administrative and auxiliary services (1,305 people), agriculture, forestry, and fishery (1,237 people) employ the largest number of people.
The largest number of foreign workers is from China (4,881 people), Uzbekistan (1,273 people), Türkiye (1,203 people), and India (1,095 people).
Approximately 1 billion tenge was attracted by the Kostanay region worth of foreign investments in the past two years, creating over 1,000 jobs.
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Read moreThe key factor for job selection is salary
Research conducted by Infostud during the Regional Employment Fair shows that salary is the most important factor for job selection in Serbia for 66% of people.
Good interpersonal relationships are the second essential factor (61% of respondents). The opportunity for learning and career advancement takes the third place (37% of respondents). Then come working hours (34%) and job security (23%). 22% of respondents voted for flexible working hours as a key factor.
A third of respondents believe that skills and knowledge are the most important factors for securing employment. 20% of respondents think that motivation and willingness to work play a key role, while prior work experience is crucial for 18%. On the contrary, formal education is crucial only for 3%.
A monthly salary between €800 and €1,000 is ideal for 35% of respondents in Serbia. A salary in the range of €1,000 to €1,500 is expected by nearly a third (28%). 17% believe that €500 to €800 would be enough for a decent living. Salary expectations exceeding €1,500 per month were recorded only for 13% of respondents.
Only 16% are satisfied with their current position, and over half of respondents (54%) want to change jobs within the next year. 22% of respondents are concerned about the precarious nature of the labour market.
The salary of 45% has not increased in the past year, while income of 37% has increased. Salary of 16% is expected to raise by the end of the year. The positions of 63% of respondents do not allow for remote work. 19% of employees able to work remotely work from the office. 12% adopt a hybrid model, and only 6% work entirely from home.
Foreign private companies are chosen by 33% of respondents. The second most desirable option is entrepreneurship (27%). 21% would choose to work in state-owned enterprises. Domestic private companies seem preferable for only 15%.
Feedback on the outcomes of job applications is received rarely by 46% of respondents and almost never by 24%. A response is always received only by 3% of candidates. 38% of young people still in education believe that they will find a job within three months after graduation. 20% expect to get employed in six months. 70% are planning to gain experience during internships, 46% would choose part-time jobs, one in five will get necessary training.
Relocation for work is not desirable for 46% of respondents in Serbia, while moving to a European country attracts 28%. 14% would relocate to regional countries, 11% would move outside Europe. Higher salaries (74%), better living conditions (63%), and improved working conditions (57%) are the main reasons for emigration.
There were 20 questions in the survey embracing over 6,000 people of three demographic groups: employees, unemployed individuals, and those currently in education. Nearly 50% of respondents (2,916) were Serbian.
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Read moreThe Foreigners’ Portal in Serbia issued 34,146 Residence and Work Permits
The Serbian government reports that 34,146 applications for a Unified Permit for Temporary Residence and Work (a biometric document in the form of a card) for foreign nationals have been approved since the launch of the Foreigners’ Portal on 1 February this year as of 30 November (3,635 unified permits in November alone).
According to the Office for IT and eGovernment of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, it is possible to apply for the Unified Permit electronically through the Foreigners’ Portal, either by the foreign national or by their employer on their behalf.
A Type C visa, which allows for a stay of up to 90 days and is issued for tourism, business, or other travel, allowing for single, double, or multiple entries into Serbia, or a Type D visa, which allows for a stay of 90 to 180 days and is issued for reasons such as employment, education, family reunification, and similar purposes, can be applied for through the Foreigners’ Portal.
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Read moreAccording to IOM report, unemployment among recently displaced Ukrainians attains 24 Per Cent
A new report detailing the profound impact of nearly three years of war on the employment, mobility, and labour market dynamics in Ukraine was released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
It shows a higher unemployment rate (24%) among people recently displaced within Ukraine, compared to those displaced for one year or more (13%).
Alessia Schiavon, IOM Ukraine Chief of Mission highlights this disparity and the importance of targeted support of newly displaced individuals in rebuilding of their livelihoods and their future lives.
According to the report, a higher rate of unemployment (15%, compared to a national average of 11%) was recorded among working-age IDPs, as well as a higher proportion of unemployed job seekers (61%) compared to returning migrants and non-displaced individuals.
In spite of the massive decline in labour supply in the country due to the forced international migration of more than 6.7 million people, the employment rate among working-age respondents (18-60 years old) stands at 67 per cent (six percentage points lower than prior to February 2022).
The lack of local job opportunities and low wages are the most significant challenges that job seekers face in Ukraine. The low salaries and payment delays, prevalent in the public sector such as education and healthcare, have a disproportionately strong impact on the women working in these institutions.
Ongoing livelihood needs of millions of Ukrainians are also in the spotlight of the report. Nearly 5,000 people were provided with grants for micro-enterprises, vocational training, and livelihoods by IOM from January to October 2024. Totally half a million people got a direct assistance from the Organization.
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Read moreIs a better living standard implied by wage increase?
The Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (RZS) reports that the average gross salary for September 2024 was 132,783 dinars, while the average net salary (after taxes and contributions) reached 96,115 dinars. The median net salary (75,117 dinars) is earned by half of the employees in Serbia.
Gross and net salaries in January-September 2024 grew by 14.5% nominally and 9.3% in real terms, compared to the same period last year. The increase of the average gross and net salaries for September 2024 was 13.0% nominally and 8.4% in real terms compared to the same month in the previous year.
Traditionally, they recorded the highest net salaries in the Belgrade region, particularly in the municipalities of Stari Grad and Vračar (170,558 and 163,757 dinars). Savski Venac (158,414 dinars) and Novi Beograd (155,034 dinars) were the following.
Jablanica District had the lowest average salaries in Serbia (71,652 dinars), particularly in Bojnik (63,622 dinars), while Medveđa had the highest salaries in the district (76,929 dinars).
According to Professor Ljubodrag Savić from the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade, there are several factors contributing to income disparities in Serbia.
The first one is the location of the most significant company offices in Belgrade (foreign companies, trade firms, consultancy agencies, universities, government institutions, and public sector organizations such as Elektroprivreda Srbije). Nevertheless, there is income inequality even in Belgrade itself.
Savić explained the lowest reported salary in Bojnik (63,622 dinars) by Serbia’s population decline. Nevertheless, living costs in these regions are significantly lower than in areas like Stari Grad, Belgrade.
The income earned by 50% of Serbia’s workforce is reflected by the median salary of 75,117 dinars (approximately €700). According to Savić, this amount might not seem small in euros, but the situation changes radically when you convert it into dinars and assess their purchasing power.
Savić explained that incomes seem to rise rapidly, especially expressed in euros, but inflation often outpaces salary growth in dinars, because the euro has remained at 117 dinars for the past 10–15 years. So, constant euro-denominated exchange rate makes the figure in euros appear larger, though living standards don’t necessarily improve.
The real impact of inflation on purchasing power pointed out by Savić can be revealed by looking back a decade.
He compared the purchasing power of €100 ten years ago when converted to 11,700 dinars with today’s one and found that the difference in value is stark, whether it’s sugar, milk, or other products.
According to him, this demonstrates that economic well-being is not always accurately indicated by the euro figure.
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Read moreAdvice for growing your professional circle in Tbilisi’s dynamic business scene
Tbilisi’s growing business environment has made Georgia’s capital a hub for entrepreneurs and freelancers.
Attending events tailored to your field is one of the easiest ways to grow your network. Meetups and conferences for industries like tech, marketing, design and various community events where you can meet potential collaborators are held in Tbilisi.
Another useful place is coworking spaces where professionals naturally become connected due to shared environment that encourages collaboration and informal interactions.
You should also use social media and online platforms actively. For example, there are several groups dedicated to professionals in Tbilisi in LinkedIn and Facebook. You should join them to keep up-to-date with networking opportunities and to get connected with others in your industry or take part in discussions, one-on-one conversations or share insights.
Participating in volunteering and local projects can help you build relationships, contribute to the community and meet professionals with shared values. There are a lot of different NGOs in Tbilisi that can lead to strong, long-lasting connections with others trying to reach a common goal. You can try mentoring or consulting for startups if you have experience or skills that could benefit others, as guidance from experienced professionals is appreciated by many small businesses in Tbilisi. You will not only build goodwill but also become connected with driven individuals who may become valuable contacts by offering your expertise.
When you make connections, don’t forget about maintaining them. After the first meeting someone at an event or coworking space, continue the communication with a simple message or email expressing your enjoyment of the conversation and suggesting to meet for coffee to continue discussing shared interests. Such consistent messages will keep relationships alive. Hosting informal gatherings such as a small dinner party, coffee meetup, or after-work drinks can help you deepen relationships with people you’ve met. Stronger professional relationships are often born from personal interactions with others in a relaxed setting.
In conclusion, don’t be intimidated to expand your professional circle. You should build meaningful connections that benefit your career by attending networking events, utilizing coworking spaces, engaging on social media and volunteering. The key factor is to be proactive and genuine in your approach. Take advantage of the opportunities Tbilisi’s dynamic business scene provides, and you’ll be well on your way to growing a strong professional network.
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Read moreBetter jobs and salaries are offered to men than to women
Statistics and numerous studies examining gender relations show that men earn more than women, hold better jobs and positions in companies.
Nevertheless, Infostud reports 157,147 unemployed men registered with the National Employment Service (NSZ) with 7,333 among them having only primary education.
According to Miloš Turinski, PR representative of Infostud, sectors like sales and trade provide the most job opportunities, regardless of gender, due to high demand for sales assistants and commercial representatives. Logistics and transport need drivers and warehouse workers, then follows production.
Turinski noted a growing interest among men in sectors like customer support and administration. Nevertheless, numerous surveys show that men often avoid jobs that require prolonged interaction with clients, though positions like customer or telephone support rank among the top 10 jobs applied for by them. In addition, jobs in education, social services, or healthcare are rarely considered by men, as they still perceive these sectors as ‘female-dominated’.
Statistics show that men dominated eight out of the top ten job roles with the highest number of vacancies in September. Programmers, with 3,543 openings, were by far the most advertised positions, followed by 1,594 for warehouse workers. 981 workers for loading and unloading, as well as manual labourers for civil engineering, ironworkers, truck drivers, carpenters, and assistants to ironworkers were also sought by companies.
The Labour Force Survey conducted by the Serbian Statistical Office (RZS) reports that 53 per cent of employed people in Serbia are men, while 47 per cent are women. The construction sector (90.8 per cent of the workforce) and agriculture (70.2 per cent) are dominated by men, while in service industries the proportion of men to women is almost equal.
Among occupational groups, 65 per cent of managers, directors, and officials and 83 per cent of tradesmen are men. The ratio of men in military occupations attains 88 per cent.
According to data from the Business Registers Agency (APR) for 2023, 75.6 per cent of companies have men as legal representatives or directors. A woman leads a company in 24.4 per cent of cases. Men own 66.3 per cent of property. 76.6 per cent of men in the 15 to 64 age category are self-employed, while only 23.4 per cent of women are entrepreneurs.
According to the publication Women and Men in the Republic of Serbia 2023 by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, women earn, on average, 8.8 per cent less than men.
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Read moreThey opened a new pre-departure orientation information centre at Kazakhstan’s Labour Mobility Centre in Turkistan
A new pre-departure orientation (PDO) information centre was launched at the Labour Mobility Centre (LMC) in Turkistan, a city of over 200,000 people, on 4 November. The Ministry of Labour, Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan and IOM Kazakhstan spearhead this centre seeking to improve the experiences of local citizens who are considering migration to other countries for work. Key information and support will be provided by the PDO information centre to labour migrants to help them make informed decisions and prepare them for their journey ahead.
Satybaldy Darkhan Amangeldiuly, Mayor of Turkistan, explained that Kazakhstan wants to protect the rights and well-being of its migrant workers and give them all the knowledge and resources necessary for a safer and more productive migration experience.
The UK International Development from the UK Government funds IOM with the goal to provide vital capacity-building assistance to the LMC, including the launch of a dedicated hotline, comprehensive training for hotline operators and LMC staff and the provision of essential equipment.
Kathy Leach, British Ambassador to Kazakhstan, noted that the number of Kazakh workers coming to the UK under British Seasonal Workers Scheme has increased significantly over the last few years – from just 4 people receiving a seasonal worker visa in 2019 to 4,423 in just the first half of 2024.
A safe and secure forum to ask questions and address fears and concerns is provided by pre-departure migrant training courses. The skills and awareness necessary to successfully adapt to new societies can be developed and crucial advice on accessing support channels while working abroad are offered to workers by migrant training. Facilitation of the integration of women gets a particular attention.
Serhan Aktoprak, Chief of Mission at IOM Kazakhstan, Country Office with Coordinating Functions for Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan added that ultimately, pre-departure trainings at a dedicated PDO information centre strives to empower labour migrants to adapt more rapidly and successfully to the day-to-day demands of their new environment and to enable them to better navigate the services in place.
The regional IOM project “Safe Migration of Seasonal Workers from Central Asia to the United Kingdom” includes the inauguration of the PDO information centre in Turkistan as its integral component. Enhancing the protection and well-being of seasonal agricultural workers from Central Asia and contribution to the continuing economic development of participating Central Asian countries are main goals that this initiative seeks to achieve.
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Read moreSerbia will lack 100,000 workers in the next decade
The Institute for Innovation and Development (IRI) reports that, despite the potential for creating a unified labour market among Western Balkan countries, labour migration within the region is minimal and directed toward European Union countries.
According to an analysis presented at the conference “How to Increase Labour Mobility in the Western Balkans”, the future of the region will be shaped by the labour market. Higher incomes and better working conditions will make Serbian workers move to far more developed EU countries, and Serbia will face a shortage of 80,000 to 100,000 workers in the next decade.
Miodrag Milosavljević, Deputy Director of the Open Society Foundation, acknowledged the impossibility to prevent migration, but he called for a balanced approach between inflow and outflow to ensure continuous development, as a lack of workforce hinders the growth.
Unfortunately, the data from IRI researcher Milica Anđelković Đoković report the persistent outflow of workers to Western Europe.
Dragan Todorović, president of the Independent Union of Belgrade, said that apparently only foreign workers recruited from distant countries who are not intending to stay come to Serbia. They do not work for lower wages than locals but instead face “time-dumping” in their work hours.
Todorović warned that instead of working five days for eight hours, foreign workers work six or seven days for 10 to 12 hours a day, so appear to employers to be more productive. But it actually doesn’t mean a higher productivity, but a simple denial of labour rights. These workers will return home or move on, if they are more educated or resourceful.
Bojan Stanić, Deputy Director for Strategic Analysis at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, noted that solutions are on the horizon, despite the difficult situation. According to him, it is necessary to create regional labour market in the Western Balkans as short-term measures, but even this has its limits, as worker shortages are faced by all regional economies, and no one wants to ‘pull’ workers from another country, diminishing their growth potential. Stanić explained that the solution was to attract returnees, who have been educated or started careers abroad by offering them not only the opportunity to work and earn but also to further develop in a healthy, environmentally-friendly setting.
As Nenad Jevtović added, joint participation in a unified labour market by regional states, drafting National Economic Migration Strategies, as Serbia has done, and improving infrastructure were included in some of IRI’s recommendations. He warned that it is impossible to expect high labour mobility if it takes hours to travel between Skopje and Niš, or if the only efficient way to get from Belgrade to Tirana is by plane.
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