Difference between revisions of "Zarobitchanstvo (Ukraine)"

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Travelling abroad to work is not a new phenomenon in Ukraine: it has long been a means of self-reliance in times of social and financial turmoil. It was practised both in tsarist Russia and under Soviet rule. In the USSR, for instance, there was a common informal practice known as ‘to leave in search of a long rouble,’ meaning to travel to work in the Russian Far North, where salaries were substantially higher than elsewhere in the country. There were also informal artels of shabashniks (Zemtsov 2001:332)<ref>Zemtsov,  I. 2001. Encyclopedia of Soviet Life. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers</ref>, that is, cooperative associations of people who travelled around the country in search of temporary or seasonal work, chiefly in building or agriculture, and mainly with private employers. In the 1990s, during Ukraine’s transition from a command to a market economy, working abroad became commonplace.

Travelling abroad to work is not a new phenomenon in Ukraine: it has long been a means of self-reliance in times of social and financial turmoil. It was practised both in tsarist Russia and under Soviet rule. In the USSR, for instance, there was a common informal practice known as ‘to leave in search of a long rouble,’ meaning to travel to work in the Russian Far North, where salaries were substantially higher than elsewhere in the country. There were also informal artels of shabashniks (Zemtsov 2001:332)<ref>Zemtsov,  I. 2001. Encyclopedia of Soviet Life. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers</ref>, that is, cooperative associations of people who travelled around the country in search of temporary or seasonal work, chiefly in building or agriculture, and mainly with private employers. In the 1990s, during Ukraine’s transition from a command to a market economy, working abroad became commonplace.

Many migrant workers come from the rural regions of western Ukraine. For example, 41.9 per cent of the population of Transcarpathian Oblast (region) in south-western Ukraine are believed to have worked abroad, of whom 56.1 per cent are male and 43.9 per cent are female). In Ternopil Oblast in western Ukraine, 17.6 percent of the economically active population have worked abroad, of whom 51.4 per cent in the region overall are female, while in the regional capital the female share reaches as high as 62.5 per cent (Shushpanov 2009)<ref>Shushpanov, P. 2009. Zovnizhnya trudova migracia naselennya regiounu: social’no-demografichny aspekt (na materialah ternopil’skoi oblasti) (External labour migration of regional population: socio-demographic aspect [materials from Ternopil Oblast]). Doctoral dissertation. Kyiv: National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Institute for Demographic and Social Research</ref>. Of the EU countries, Ukrainian women are most likely to travel for work to the Mediterranean region. In Spain, for example, up to 55 per cent of Ukrainian labour migrants are female; in Greece 75.5 per cent; in Italy 90.2 per cent. Male workers are more likely to find work in Portugal, where they make up 68 per cent of the Ukrainian workforce; in Russia 60.4 per cent; or in Germany 60 per cent. Recent years have seen an acceleration of female labour force outflow to Russia (up from 39.6 per cent in 2001 to 50 per cent in 2009) and to Poland (up from 19.4 per cent in 2001 to 66 per cent in 2009).

Many migrant workers come from the rural regions of western Ukraine. For example, 41.9 per cent of the population of Transcarpathian Oblast (region) in south-western Ukraine are believed to have worked abroad, of whom 56.1 per cent are male and 43.9 per cent are female). In Ternopil Oblast in western Ukraine, 17.6 percent of the economically active population have worked abroad, of whom 51.4 per cent in the region overall are female, while in the regional capital the female share reaches as high as 62.5 per cent (Shushpanov 2009)<ref>Shushpanov, P. 2009. Zovnizhnya trudova migracia naselennya regiounu: social’no-demografichny aspekt (na materialah ternopil’skoi oblasti) (External labour migration of regional population: socio-demographic aspect [materials from Ternopil Oblast]). Doctoral dissertation. Kyiv: National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Institute for Demographic and Social Research</ref>. Of the EU countries, Ukrainian women are most likely to travel for work to the Mediterranean region. In Spain, for example, up to 55 per cent of Ukrainian labour migrants are female; in Greece 75.5 per cent; in Italy 90.2 per cent. Male workers are more likely to find work in Portugal, where they make up 68 per cent of the Ukrainian workforce; in Russia 60.4 per cent; or in Germany 60 per cent. Recent years have seen an acceleration of female labour force outflow to Russia (up from 39.6 per cent in 2001 to 50 per cent in 2009) and to Poland (up from 19.4 per cent in 2001 to 66 per cent in 2009).

The feminisation of zarobitchanstvo has led to several new phenomena. These include:

The feminisation of zarobitchanstvo has led to several new phenomena. These include: