Migration moods of the Ukrainians in dynamics
• According to the survey conducted by the Sociological Group "Rating" in September 2017, 61% of the respondents stated they would not like to go abroad for permanent residence. At the same time, 35% said they would like to; 4% - have not decided on the answer. Compared to last year, the number of those who would like to change their place of residence and move to another country has slightly increased (from 30% to 35%). The highest number of those who would like to change their place of residence was recorded among the residents of the West (41%). In the South, there were recorded 34% of such people, in the Center and East - 33% each. Among the youth (18-35 years), the number of those willing to move abroad for the permanent place of residence is 54%; on the contrary, among the older generation, this figure is only 19%. Somewhat higher number of those who have expressed a desire to emigrate was recorded among people with higher education and income. At the same time, it should be noted that among those who have experienced working abroad the number of potential migrants is lower than among those who only would like to find work abroad.
• The most common reason prompting the respondents to think about the emigration is hope for better living conditions (64%). The desire to ensure better future for the children was mentioned as a reason for relocation to another country by 34% of the polled, the lack of decent work in Ukraine - 23%, the desire to get the better education - 12%. Less than 10% indicated such reasons as the lack of security in Ukraine, the possibility of obtaining better medical services, better conditions for doing business, the desire for self-realization, family circumstances. No more than 1% of the respondents would like to leave due to the values’ conflict and political persecutions. Obtaining better living conditions as the reason for possible emigration was the most often mentioned in the East of the country, the desire to ensure the future of the children - in the South, the lack of decent work - in the West. Young people as compared to other categories are more likely to mention the desire to emigrate due to the lack of work and opportunities of self-realization, the oldest groups - a sense of danger and better medical services.
• 44% of the polled expressed a desire to work / get a job abroad. In the regional context, this difference is not significant. At the same time, there is a significant difference in the age groups: among the young people there were recorded 68% of those who would like to work abroad, among the middle-aged people - 52%, and among the eldest - only 20%.
• The main motivation to work abroad was the most often called higher salaries in other countries (72%). 16 to 20% of the polled mentioned the better working conditions, the desire to earn for a house/apartment (children’s education, relatives’ treatment, etc.), professional self-realization, and higher quality of social protection as the reasons for getting a job abroad. The opportunity to start their own business and the desire to gain experience in international companies were mentioned as the reasons by 7% of each.
• The young people are more willing to work abroad because of the need of professional self-realization and experience in international companies, the older people – because of better social protection abroad. Interestingly, those who only want to work abroad tend to mention as the reason for working in other countries the level of salaries more often as compared to those who have already worked there. Instead, those who have already worked abroad more often point out as the reason the better working conditions.
• The country for relocation most often mentioned by the respondents who would like to work abroad is Germany (37%). 26% would like to work In Poland, 22% - in the United States, 21% - Canada, 16% - the Czech Republic, 15% - Italy, 14% - the UK, 12% each - France or Sweden, 11% - Israel, 9% - Spain, 7% - the Netherlands, 6% - Russia. In other countries would like to work less than 5% of the respondents. Germany, the United States, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom were chosen as the countries for work mostly by the citizens of the West, Russia - in the East.
• 44% of the polled said that they had no chance at all to go to work abroad. 30% rated their chances to work abroad as insignificant, 17% - as significant. The most optimistic about their prospects for employment in other countries are young people (32% consider they have high chances, 41% - low chances). Among the middle-aged respondents, 15% believe to have high chances to work abroad, while 37% - low. The oldest people are the least optimistic in their estimates in terms of the chances to work in other countries (5% and 17%).
• Among all the respondents, only 14% stated that they have already worked abroad, 86% - have not. The largest number is recorded among those living in the West, people with higher education, self-employed, and those working at the private companies.
• 65% of the polled said that they definitely or very likely would return to Ukraine if they had a permanent job abroad, 23% - would not return, 12% - have not answered. The lowest number of those who said that they would not return to Ukraine was recorded among the citizens of the West (17%), the lowest - among the residents of the East and South (27% each); in the Center - 23%.
• 33% of the polled said they have already searched for information on the employment opportunities abroad, 67% - have not. The highest number of those interested was recorded in the West (41%), among those with higher education, young people, those working at the private companies, self-employed, and those with higher income.
• 64% of the respondents who had searched for such information have received it from the relatives, friends, and colleagues (64%). 40% have received such info with the help of the Internet, 37% - from the acquaintances, 12% - from the media advertisements, 13% - from the organizations specializing in employment abroad.
• 46% of all the polled believe that there is plenty of information about the opportunities and rules of the employment abroad, 37% - not enough. The citizens of the West, young people, those who have worked abroad, and people with higher income are more likely as compared to others to believe that there is plenty of information about the possibilities and rules of the employment abroad.
• 52% of the respondents stated they would like to receive more information about the possibilities and rules of the employment abroad, 40% - would not. Young people, residents of the Center and West, urban citizens, those willing to work abroad, people with higher education and higher income more often than others have stated that they would like to receive more of such information.
• 55% of the polled say that among their acquaintances there are those whose children are studying abroad. 45% - there are no such persons within their environment. The number of those who know people whose children are studying abroad is somewhat higher in the West, in the cities, and among young people.
• 70% of the respondents stated they would like their children or grandchildren to study abroad, 20% shared an opposing view. In the West, Center, and South the number of such respondents is more than 70%, in the East - 59%. The younger the respondents, the higher their level of education and income, the higher number of those who would like their children or grandchildren to study abroad among them.
• Among those who showed such a desire, Germany (34%) was the most often chosen as a desirable country for education of children and grandchildren. Great Britain is chosen by 29%, the United States – by 25%, Poland - 24%, Canada - 17%, France - 12%, the Czech Republic and Sweden - 10% each, Italy - 7%, the Netherlands and Spain - 5% each, Russia - 4%. Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Portugal, and Romania are chosen by 1-2%.
• 55% of the polled stated they were personally interested in the introduction of a visa-free regime between Ukraine and the European Union; 38% - not interested, 7% - have not answered this question. The most interested in the visa-free regime are the citizens in the West (72%), the least interested - in the East (40%). Young people, those with higher education and higher income are more interested in the introduction of the visa-free regime with the EU as compared to other categories.
• 52% of the respondents think that the introduction of the visa-free regime would have positive consequences for Ukraine. 17% consider that it would not have any consequences, 18% believe it will lead to the negative results. Again, more optimistic in their estimates of the outcomes of the visa-free regime introduction are the residents of the West (68%). 53% of such people were recorded in the Center, nearly 40% - in the East and South. Young people, those with higher income and higher education are also more optimistic about the prospects of the visa-free regime than others.
• At the same time, 80% of the respondents consider that the visa-free regime with the EU will increase the labor force migration from Ukraine; only 13% have the opposite opinion.
• Also, almost three-quarters of the respondents are convinced that the ease of employment conditions for the Ukrainians provided by Poland and Hungary is rather a step towards improving the economy of these countries than a friendly step towards Ukraine.
• 54% of the polled claim that a working visa is required for employment abroad. In contrast, 29% have the opposite view, 17% have not answered.
• Two-thirds of the respondents said they would not like to have a dual citizenship, 35% - would like to have a second passport. The most often such a desire was expressed in the South, by young people, employed and those with higher income. Among the countries whose citizenship they would prefer to have, the respondents have chosen the EU countries (42%). 18% would like to have the US citizenship, 15% - Canada, 12% - Russia. The citizenship of the EU countries would like to have equally the residents of the Western, Central, and Southern macro-regions (nearly 40%), somewhat lower number of the eastern residents (31%). The citizenship of the United States would be the most preferred for the citizens of the West, the citizenship of Russia – for the Eastern residents.
Audience: residents of Ukraine aged 18 and older. The sample is representative by age, sex, region, and settlement type. Total sample: 1200 respondents. Personal formalized interview (face-to-face). The margin of error does not exceed 2.8%. Period of the survey: 8-18 September 2017. The research is conducted on request of All-Ukrainian Association of International Employment Companies
