It turns out that in every sixth family of temporary labor migrants, funds earned abroad are the only source of cash inflows into the family budget, and in every tenth they constitute approximately three quarters of the total family income. In every third household whose members from time to time visit foreign countries for the purpose of economic tourism (buying and selling goods) or temporary work, the funds they receive there provide almost half or slightly more than half of the cash inflows into their common budget.
But do labor migrants' incomes allow them to lead a comfortable existence? The data suggest otherwise: 6.2% of them live clearly below the poverty line, either going hungry or relying on alms from compassionate fellow citizens, and 37.1% are forced to spend all their income on buying food, saving on everything else. Only three out of ten labor migrants said that their income is enough for life, and every fifth indicated that while earning enough to provide themselves with everything necessary, they nevertheless cannot make savings. Only 1.1% of labor migrants live in complete prosperity, and another 5.6%, without denying themselves the purchase of necessary food and goods, are able to make money savings.
Despite the limited possibilities of the family budget, labor migrants make purchases of various household items noticeably more often compared to their other compatriots. They are 2.3 times more likely to wear fashionable clothes (22.5% versus 9.9%), 2.5 times more likely to own a computer (10.7% versus 4.2%), and 1.8 times more likely to have stereo and video equipment (33.2% versus 18.5%). Labor migrants are 1.6 times more likely to visit others, 1.5 times more likely to receive guests, 1.6 times more likely to relax in nature, 2.8 times more likely to visit restaurants and nightclubs, 1.5 times more likely to listen to music (records, discs, magnetic recordings), 1.9 times more likely to watch video recordings, and 2.2 times more likely to devote time to working with a computer in search of information, entertaining themselves with computer games or developing programs. But what is significant, labor migrants are 1.3 times more likely to use their free time for communicating and spending time with children, and 1.5 times more likely to devote leisure time to part-time work or additional odd jobs.
The attraction of Ukrainians to labor trips around the world grows every year. Note that the share of potential immigrants to countries far abroad increased 2.2 times (from 4.6% in 1994 to 10.3% in 2002), and the proportion of persons experiencing vague and directionless longing increased 1.6 times: from 12.8% in 1994 to 19.9% in 2002. As the study showed, out of the total number of respondents, 14.9% expressed a desire to move abroad for permanent residence, and another 20.4% were undecided about their departure plans. The most frequently named desired countries of settlement by external potential migrants were Germany (20.2%), the USA and Canada (16%), Poland (8.5%), Russia and Belarus (6.4%).
The most attractive countries for labor migrants are Russia and Poland, less often Germany and the Czech Republic. More than half of Ukraine's residents who worked abroad found employment there by verbal agreement with an employer, without legally formalizing a labor contract. The rest concluded a labor contract either in Ukraine or in the country of temporary residence. Work experience outside the country is most often had by residents of western Ukraine (36.8%, or more than every third family), less often by inhabitants of the central and eastern regions (26.4% and 21.4%, respectively), and significantly less often by residents of southern regions (only 15.4%). Residents of western regions of Ukraine more often than guest workers from other regions of the country have work experience in the Czech Republic (76.9%), Poland (29%), Slovakia (80%), and in two Mediterranean countries - Spain and Portugal (50% and 40%, respectively). Residents of the eastern and central regions of the country more often than other labor migrants work in Russia (30.2% and 30.2%, respectively) and Belarus (37.5% and 25%), as well as in Germany (30% and 30%). Most often, residents of central regions of Ukraine go to work in Poland (32.3%). From southern regions, more often than from others, labor migrants go to work in Turkey (66.7%), Hungary (50%), and the USA (50%). Residents of southern regions, yielding to their counterparts from other regions in the intensity of labor trips abroad, find work quite often in Russia (21.7%), Germany (20%), Poland (19.4%), and Belarus (25%). The largest number of volunteers intending to look for work abroad in the near future is concentrated in the western region of the country (43.5%). Almost half as often, residents of central and eastern regions of Ukraine express a desire to look for work abroad (23.4% and 20.2%, respectively), even less often (12.9%) - residents of the south. The highest share of guest workers is in Kyiv (17%).
And here are remarks on the image of a Kyivan migrant. More than half of Kyivans who went abroad for labor purposes positively assessed their work experience and earnings obtained in foreign expanses: almost every fourth (22.1%) remained fully satisfied, and every third (32.7%) - rather satisfied than not, with both material and non-material results of their stay and work in another country. There are fewer dissatisfied people. Every fifth respondent testifies to this. Among those who returned home from a foreign labor trip with negative impressions, one half (10.6%) remained completely dissatisfied with work abroad, while the second, more moderate half (10.6%) - rather dissatisfied than satisfied. And every fourth respondent for some reason did not want to talk about their feelings.
The results of sociological surveys conducted by the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in a monitoring mode in 1999-2001 indicate that the overwhelming majority of Kyiv residents who worked abroad at various times went to earn money mainly in Russia: this is confirmed by 59% of respondents (or six out of ten). The second country in terms of frequency of visits for labor purposes is Poland: 11.9%, or every ninth capital resident went there as a temporary hired worker over the past several years. Germany and Italy are quite attractive for Kyiv residents seeking earnings. In the post-perestroika period, 9.4% and 6.1% of respondents respectively went on labor trips to these countries. Notably fewer capital residents choose the Czech Republic, where 3.7% of surveyed Kyiv residents sought and found the opportunity to earn extra money.
Four out of every ten Ukrainian guest workers with Kyiv registration worked abroad illegally, without any legal status. As a rule, labor conflicts with the employer are settled amicably, without the involvement of a third party. This is evidenced by three-quarters of labor migrants (75.4%) who had such incidents. If it was not possible to reach a compromise with the employer, our compatriots had to look for other employment opportunities. This is indicated by every fifth survey participant (19.6%) who experienced the bitter experience of a labor conflict abroad. And finally, among labor migrants there are people who tried to resolve labor disputes in the legal space. Of these, 2.8% were forced to contact the police, and only a few (2.2%) decided to seek justice in court. Most often, capital residents work without a labor agreement or a contract agreement with a foreign employer in Poland, Italy, or the Czech Republic, but labor migrants come to Russia from Kyiv, as a rule, having taken care in advance to conclude an employment contract. However, it is in Russia that labor conflicts with employers most often arise, and it is in this country that they are usually settled without the involvement of a third party.
Based on materials from the monograph “Labor Migration in the CIS”.