Labor migration may impede Ukraine's economic recovery – experts

Experts say the ongoing labor migration Ukraine is seeing now may impede the country's economic recovery, which was observed in the first half of 2018.

"The only positive example in the Ukrainian realities is what the IT sector has done. Firstly, the introduction of taxation at 5% of the amount [income] means the development of the market. Secondly, they do not want to leave Ukraine, as it's more advantageous for them to live in Ukraine," says head of the Ukrainian Analytical Center's Expert Council Borys Kushnir, a member of the discussion panel, organized by the Dilova Stolytsia publication, Ukrainian TV Channel 5 reported.

Read alsoOver 3.2 mln Ukrainians work abroad – social policy minister

According to the experts, only measures that will be taken at the state level may address the issue of mass labor migration. In particular, this refers to raising social standards and working conditions, as well as the creation of a favorable investment climate and fairer fiscal policy.

At the same time, although work abroad attracts Ukrainians with high salaries, it can often have negative consequences for workers themselves.

"They go to Europe and get employed illegally, that is, they deprive themselves of their rights and everything can happen with them there. The most frequent cases are when they may not be paid, and even worse cases are not ruled out," Vice President of the All-Ukrainian Association of Companies for International Employment of Workers Mykola Aleksandrov said.

As UNIAN reported earlier, more than 3 million Ukrainians work abroad on a permanent basis.