Unemployment and lack of professionals

The country’s priority today is the creation of new jobs but this is a very difficult task. Some experts predict an increase in unemployment measured in tens of thousands. There is one peculiarity in the local employment market, the serious deficit of professionals. Entrepreneurs are saying that, with regret, a big wave of dismissals will begin after the January celebrations and holidays are over.

According to data from the third quarter of this year around 330,000 people are currently employed in industry, of which 40% are female. Large enterprises employ 60.3%, medium-sized enterprises 18.5% and small ones 21.2%. Interesting data has emerged from polling carried out by the Georgian Young Economists Association. 44% of entrepreneurs in the private sector hire people from among their acquaintances, 17% consider the recommendation of friends and relatives and only 16% make announcements of vacancies.

The state offers different employment programmes. In 2008 the Georgian Ministry of Economic Development began implementing a programme of creating 100 new agricultural enterprises and developing existing ones. A cheap credit programme was also activated to support tourism and exports primarily. The Hundred Georgian Business Projects programme is also encouraging business development by providing soft loans for different purposes.

All these projects involve the creation of extra jobs. However they only began this year and have not produced any significant results so far. Some new businesses have started up in different spheres of industry, but of course it is not enough.