In Search of Opportunities : How a More Mobile Workforce Can Propel Ukraine’s Prosperity (Vol. 1 of 2) : Summary Report

World Bank

Washington, DC

关键词: ACTUAL COST;    ACTUAL COSTS;    AGGREGATE PRODUCTIVITY;    APARTMENTS;    AVERAGE WAGES;   

RP-ID  :  68824

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

Ukrainians do not move often, and whenthey do move, they don't necessarily go to areas withgood jobs and high wages. Internal mobility is about half ofwhat is expected when comparing Ukraine with othercountries. The lack of mobility is remarkable, given theavailability of more jobs and better wages in severalUkrainian cities. Too few people are taking advantage ofeconomic opportunities, and as a result, Ukraine'sstructural transformation has stalled. This is a sharpcontrast to many other countries in Eastern Europe, wherethe transition to a market economy has been accompanied by ashift from widely-dispersed industries to a concentration ofcapital and production in a few areas, and from low- tohigher-productivity sectors. Labor has largely mirrored themovement of capital and production. In Ukraine, however,labor is not flowing as smoothly to areas of highproduction. This report examines the mobility of workersinside Ukraine and their willingness to physically relocatefrom one area or region to another in search of bettereconomic opportunities. The report explores the patterns andtrends of labor mobility in Ukraine as well as the driversand constraints of that mobility, and derives policyimplications from its findings. Second chapter of thisvolume offers evidence of how a mobile workforce benefitsthe economy. It shows how the economic transition in most ofEastern Europe has been accompanied by the significantconcentration of capital and people in a few areas. This hasnot happened to the same extent in Ukraine. Third chaptershows that what little migration we see in Ukraine is notnecessarily going to the leading regions. For internalmigration to lead to growth and better living standards,workers have to move to the areas of the country whereproductivity and therefore, wages are high, and whereunemployment is low. Third chapter more over examines thefactors that prevent Ukrainians from moving. Fourth chapteroffers recommendations for creating greater labor mobilityin Ukraine. It explains how addressing the institutionalbottlenecks that affect internal mobility will allow morepeople, especially the poor, to access better jobs,accelerating growth and enabling living standards to rise.