Research Article: 2019 Vol: 22 Issue: 1
Assemgul A. Moldazhanova, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University
Gulzhanar K. Dzhumazhanova, Shakarim State University of the City of Semey
Aray K. Amanova, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University
Aizhus K. Kokoraeva, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University
The problem of youth employment is one of the main employment related problems in the world. This study is devoted to searching for ways to improve the process of youth employment in Commonwealth of Independent States countries with regard to international experience. The specific features of the labor market in the Commonwealth of Independent States come from the nature of the market economy and production capabilities. The best indices are found in Kyrgyzstan and Belarus, while the worst–in Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. In order to solve these problems, the study recommended the following: to stimulate the interest of young people in training for jobs on demand through various programs and privileges; to optimize employment insurance; to encourage universities to investigate graduate employment problems and adjust their curricula accordingly; to implement advanced programs; to develop youth entrepreneurship.
Employment, Youth, Employment Counselling, Youth Entrepreneurship, Employment Insurance, Labor Market Balance, Commonwealth of Independent States, Europe.
The International Labor Organization has developed the main structure of youth employment–the 4Es (Employability, Equal opportunity, Employment creation, Entrepreneurship) (Liang et al., 2016). Young people have started viewing the search for jobs and the formation of careers from the perspective of the global mobility of workforce, competition among graduates to get specific jobs, and the influence from the development of industrial clusters and regions (Michael, 2014). Another important aspect is the support from teachers and friends, which creates resilience and self-perceived employability. Even during their learning days, young people are exposed to internal changes that are characterized by emotional awareness and flexibility, as well as the possibilities of self-management and regulation, which are logically related to the outcome variables, especially resilience, marked by the individual’s capacity to maintain focus, perseverance, and overcome obstacles (Di Fabio & Kenny, 2015).
Effective youth employment requires developing a mechanism of state-public management of vocational education in the regions. At that, it is necessary to maintain a constructive dialog between the subjects of the management process and create a unified regional educational environment (Pugacheva et al., 2016).
In order to search for jobs effectively, young people should have appropriate training and an appropriate attitude. This is influenced significantly by institutional support in educational institutions, which facilitates and stimulates young people to direct all possible efforts to achieve set goals. If young people do not have a goal or do not aspire to achieve it, they will not be able to work effectively and achieve significant results. Effective activity requires motivation and motivation requires an idea of the possible ways to achieve goals. In terms of impetuses to effective employment and subsequent high labor productivity, it is worth emphasizing the desire to gain necessary experience, showcase and develop one’s abilities, capacities, and skills, achieve the sought profession, the presence of ways to achieve goals, and the ability to manage oneself. In addition, the formation of individual trajectories into the labor market is largely affected by one’s family and acquaintances, including support within communities. Support and motivation are needed not only during the search for a job, but also during the change of the current unwanted job for a wanted one. The plotting of an effective workforce trajectory requires forming desired futures and possible ways of achieving them (Hardgrove et al., 2015).
The family and friends play a major role in the choice of an occupational orientation and trajectory on the labor market. The influence of parents and, to a lesser extent, the spouse is especially emphasized. At that, a significant role is played by gender differences of both young applicants and their parents. Another influence is the level of education and professional competency of parents and the job search trajectory they find optimal (Leenders et al., 2017).
The employment process and the reduction of unemployment among young people can be facilitated by social workers. However, to that end, they should cooperate actively with young people, improve their knowledge and skills, study advanced programs and create their own programs, keep an eye on changes on the labor market, and investigate the upcoming events related to employment (Liang et al., 2016). Mentorship is a major factor. It can come from relatives, teachers, employers, and other persons and consists in guidance, emotional support, and role modeling. Its participants, essence, as well as timing, duration, closeness, and contact frequency facilitate the formation of distinctive career patterns (McDonald & Lambert, 2014).
There is a connection between the combination of learning and part-time work and the development of career aspirations and self-efficacy (students’ confidence in being able to achieve success). Students who work part-time and value this opportunity often seek better careers and want to expand their employment program. In turn, self-efficacy is largely related to career aspirations. Students’ level of education and their confidence in the fact that they can achieve greater things through effort were found to be the strongest predictors of part-time work, while self-efficacy is the strongest predictor of career aspiration. However, students who do not work during their studies can follow their desire to achieve good results in learning (Gbadamosia et al., 2015).
Changes in the modern world, such as the development of technical progress and globalization, have an effect on the labor market. According to changes in production and the staffing requirements of companies, it is necessary to adjust the training of specialists and change the focus of the workforce. To that end, it is necessary to change the main directions of policies. In other words, it is necessary to reform labor market regulation, social protection, active labor market policies, and the education systems. It is reasonable to create a policy that would ensure the prevention of labor market risks, rebalancing of the role of employment protection, unemployment benefits, active labor market policies and training (Eichhorst, 2017).
In the Commonwealth of Independent States, the labor market has its own peculiarities and problems. In particular, higher educational institution graduates find it problematic to find a job. The analysis of literature and observation of the trajectories of young people on the labor markets of post-Soviet countries show that it is necessary to conduct studies that would aim to improve the system of youth employment.
The purpose of this study is to search for ways of improving the youth employment process in the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The objectives of the study were set in accordance with its purpose:
1. To investigate the world experience of youth employment.
2. The determine the problems on the labor market of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the peculiarities of youth employment.
3. To develop recommendations regarding the improvement of the youth employment process in the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The results of this study can be used both in follow-up studies and to improve the mechanism of youth employment in the Commonwealth of Independent States and beyond.
At the beginning of the research, the international experience of youth employment regulation on the labor market was studied through literature analysis and comparison.
This was followed by an investigation of the main websites devoted to employment in post-Soviet countries: Azerbaijan (http://ru.rabota.az/, https://jobs.day.az/), Armenia (http://job.ws/armenia/, https://ru.indeed.com/), Belarus (http://rabota.by/, https://praca.by/), Kazakhstan (http://qyzmet.kz/, https://www.enbek.kz/kk), Kyrgyzstan (http://www.job.kg/, http://job.desko.kg/), Moldova (http://jobinfo.md, https://999.md/ru/category/work), Russian Federation (http://www.trud.com/, https://trudvsem.ru/), Tajikistan (http://www.kor.tj/, https://somon.tj/vakansii/), Turkmenistan (http://naydizdes.com/, http://rabota.adstm.ru/), Uzbekistan (http://www.rabota.uz/, https://ishkop.uz/), and Ukraine (https://rabota.ua/, https://www.work.ua/). The conducted analysis showed the correlation of the areas of jobs on offer and resumes, i.e. the balance of national labor markets.
The research included a survey of senior students, majoring in different fields, of higher educational institutions in the Commonwealth of Independent States member states. The age of respondents ranged from 20 to 23. The survey included a total of 1084 students from the following countries: Azerbaijan Republic (110), Republic of Armenia (105), Republic of Belarus (118), Republic of Kazakhstan (104), Kyrgyz Republic (101), Republic of Moldova (105), Russian Federation (125), Republic of Tajikistan (101), Republic of Uzbekistan (105), and Ukraine (110). The interests of young people in choosing their future profession, their prospects of employment and combination of part-time employment with learning were determined.
International Experience of Youth Employment Regulation
The experience of Ireland and Greece showed the leading role of trade unions in the solution of youth employment problems, as well as political trends. At that, in Ireland, the discussion regarding youth unemployment was mostly characterized by cooperation and agreement, while in Greece, the dominating attitudes were disagreements and conflicts. In Ireland, debates about youth unemployment were apolitical due to the absence of ideological disagreement between classes within Irish trade unions. Meanwhile in Greece, exploitation, inequality, and opposition of capital and labor were common due to the radical political discourse developed by the communist-backed trade union, the All-Workers Militant Front (Papadopoulos, 2016).
In Canada, career counselling plays one of the most important roles in youth employment. At that, emphasis is placed on the fact that a person should have one job throughout his or her entire life. Counselling helps to launch one’s first career, change the place or type of occupation, and improve professionalism. Public employment and training services are currently managed by provincial governments. Career counselling in Canada has become a link between managing the complexities of individual career choice and development and the changing Canadian economy and labor market realities. At that, the key factor in career counselling is social justice (Bezanson et al., 2016).
In Australia, special attention is paid to youth with refugee backgrounds. The analysis of career advancement prospects of this youth can improve the results of integration. As career counselling has its roots in social justice, assisting those from refugee backgrounds to integrate into Australian society is an important task for career counselors. Successful integration of refugees will be facilitated by the search for a long-term career trajectory. To that end, various counselling models are used, which help to expand their career horizons (Abkhezr et al., 2015).
In the modern world, changes in the labor market require introducing and using an effective insurance system in case of unemployment. The new employment insurance system should take into account both current and future features and risks of the labor market. Employment insurance is actively developing in democratic states, simultaneously expanding the range of risks that are included in their social insurance. There is a need for a systematic shift from simply insuring unemployment towards a system of employment insurance that covers risks beyond unemployment, in particular risks related to critical transitions over the life course: transitions between full-time and part-time work, transitions between one occupation and another, transitions between care work and gainful employment, and transitions between full work capacities and partial work capacities (Schmid, 2015).
At first, it is necessary to determine the social status of employees and establish their social rights and obligations, which include all types of work, both paid and voluntary. They can be given a permanent right to change the type and interval of work hours, for instance, switch from full-time employment to part-time employment. In addition, it is possible to compensate for lost opportunities in case of reduction of work hours and, consequently, wages if these changes occurred at the initiative of the management. In addition to protecting labor conditions, it is also necessary to protect careers, which is facilitated by the introduction of compensations for transfer to a different branch of the company at the initiative of the management, support in training and skill upgrading. It is rational to use wage insurance, which is applicable in case of a transfer from a higher paid position to a lower paid one (Schmid, 2015).
Great responsibility for youth employment lies on higher educational institutions. However, they often fail to cope with their job properly. Higher education systems are encountering certain difficulties in many European countries. Higher educational institutions should constantly modernize their respective curricula and maintain them at a high level. Besides universities, this problem should be addressed by authorities, whose competence includes the formation of national standards in higher education. In addition, universities should be interested in the employment of their graduates even during crises on the labor market. Graduate employment problems have a negative effect on the reputation of universities and can reduce the number of students (Samo, 2014).
With a few exceptions, most heads of higher educational institutions do not arrange for the collection and monitoring of information about the careers of their graduates. They do not analyze the opportunities that the graduates have to apply the knowledge, skills, and abilities they acquired during learning, their competitiveness and satisfaction with their jobs. At that, the management of higher educational institutions focuses the educational program on the students’ gain of personal experience in a professional environment. To that end, the program is made to incorporate various practical classes, programs of cooperation with potential employers, and support of international student exchange. The process of specialization in educational institutions has a direct effect on the professional orientation and knowledge of the labor market (Samo, 2014; Câmpeanu-Sonea et al., 2013).
An alternative to youth employment is youth entrepreneurship. The involvement of young people in entrepreneurship takes place in many countries around the world and the interest in this trend is rising constantly. However, the perception of youth entrepreneurship as an important career path and a useful alternative for earning money by young people is not enough in and of itself. It is necessary to implement and develop state policies that would stimulate and support youth entrepreneurship and minimize barriers to its development. When creating a support policy, it is necessary to bear in mind the following features of youth entrepreneurship:
• The behavior and, consequently, business activity of young entrepreneurs differs from that of older entrepreneurs, which is why appropriate political stimuli and training programs for young people should be carried out throughout the entire business process, not only during its genesis.
• Young people should feel support and assistance that would be appropriate to cultural and institutional contexts.
• It is necessary to stimulate educational and counselling initiatives that aim to balance the systematic resource shortage experienced by young entrepreneurs.
• It is necessary to take a rational approach to the creation of youth programs that aim to not only improve knowledge, skills, and abilities, but also develop cognitive strengths, generate realistic stimuli, and create role models (Minola et al., 2014).
Labor markets are largely affected by national and international policies. For instance, the liberalization of the labor markets in the Middle East and North Africa is affected by the youth policy of the European Union and the United States of America. However, their policy is biased by persisting stereotypes regarding the Muslim youth and its orientation on the labor market. They perceive Muslim men as terror threats and threats to women, young Muslim women as victims and non-productive. This conception became a prerequisite for rebellions and protests.
Objective data and conceptions should be used to improve these policies (Huber, 2017). In Europe, labor market policies often use various youth training programs that help to actively integrate young people into the working environment. However, not all programs prove to be effective enough. They can even yield negative results. The negative findings are predominantly driven by the performance of combinations of classroom and practical training, as well as classroom-based training programs under adverse economic conditions in which an upgrading of skills may not be sufficient to improve labor market integration chances in the short- to medium-run. However, classroom-based work is more effective than simple job searches. The active labor market programs can cut down on the practice of using formal education. In addition, such programs are a transitional element between the end of learning and the beginning of labor activity (Caliendo & Schmidl, 2016).
When it comes to the national programs of European countries, one could distinguish the New Deal for Young People in the UK, the Jugend mit Perspektive in Germany, and the Youth Unemployment Program in Denmark. In addition, this issue concerns the European Union, which in 2013 developed and approved the Youth Guarantee and called upon all member states to set up active labor market programs to ensure that unemployed youth were offered high quality employment or education opportunities within four months of entering unemployment. The most commonly used program categories were labor market training, job search assistance and monitoring, wage subsidies, and public sector work programs. However, labor market training turned out to be most effective. Other programs could even have negative consequences (Caliendo & Schmidl, 2016).
Employment is affected by four main interrelated factors: globalization, technology, demographic change, and labor market institutions. They have a direct effect on the economic development of countries, as well as on the living standards and performance and quality of jobs. However, the world labor market is characterized by a certain inequality, since residents of different regions or countries have different levels of access to high-quality education and employment. Therefore, it is necessary to create, support or adapt inclusive labor markets. At that, labor market institutions should reconcile flexibility and security and achieve a fair distribution of opportunities and risks as regards employment quality and access to the labor market. To that end, governments, employers, associations, and trade unions should cooperate. The government should support and stimulate effective interaction between employees, employers, trade unions, and associations. It is necessary to adapt social protection to changes that occur in the labor market. For instance, arrange for professional social protection or retraining of freelancers (Eichhorst, 2017).
The Balance of Supply And Demand on the Labor Market in the Commonwealth of Independent States
Each member country of the Commonwealth of Independent States has its own dominating trends in the labor market. This is determined by the nature of the market economy and production capacities.
The study involved an examination of the profession popularity correlation among openings and resumes on labor markets in the Commonwealth of Independent States. In Azerbaijan, the most popular are the following sectors: administrative personnel; restaurant business; sales (retail trade and office work); science; education, consulting; internet, IT, telecommunications, and communication. The following sectors are dominant among applicants: administrative personnel; accounting, finances, and business economics; sales (office work and retail trade); internet, IT, telecommunications, and communication; security. The leading sectors that are found on both lists are administrative personnel, sales, and information technology maintenance. The “internet, IT, telecommunications, and communication” sector occupies different spots in the supply and demand rankings. This is indicative of a partial imbalance of supply and demand on the labor market of Azerbaijan. It should be noted that the dominating direction of development of economic activities is the development of the service sector.
In Armenia, the most common openings are ones in insurance, security, construction, real estate, and manufacturing. The dominating sectors among applicants are insurance, marketing, manufacturing, construction, and security. Insurance, manufacturing, construction, and security are popular among both employers and applicants. However, they occupy different ranking spots in these groups. This state of the labor market is better than that of Azerbaijan, but also has a partial imbalance.
In Belarus, the most common openings are ones in the following sectors: trade/supply/sales; transport/logistics/automobile business/communication; blue-collar jobs; service/consumer services; construction/real estate/architecture. At that, the resumes are dominated by the following sectors: trade/supply/sales; transport/logistics/automobile business/communication; accounting/audit/business economics; blue-collar jobs; construction/real estate/architecture. The workforce supply and demand are generally similar, but certain sectors of the labor market are insufficiently balanced. At that, supply and demand match completely or mostly in the following sectors: trade/supply/sales; transport/logistics/automobile business/communication; blue-collar jobs; construction/real estate/architecture.
In Kazakhstan, employers primarily look for personnel in the following sectors: office personnel, secretaries, administration; trade, sales; manufacturing, industrial sector, agriculture; IT, computers, internet, telecommunications; accounting, finance, banking, audit. The first three sectors offer twice as many openings as rest do. This is determined by the active development of agriculture and subsequent sale of agricultural products. Applicants generally prefer the following sectors: service staff, secretariat, administrative and economic department; education, science; manufacturing, industrial sector; medicine, pharmacy; jurisprudence; accounting, audit. Jurisprudence and accounting/audit were rated almost identically by applicants. The labor market of Kazakhstan is also insufficiently balanced. However, there are dominating correspondences between supply and demand, including in such sectors as service staff, secretariat, administrative and economic department; education, science; manufacturing, industrial sector; medicine, pharmacy.
In Kyrgyzstan, the most sought-for specialists are ones in the following sectors: sales (office work and retail trade); restaurant business; internet, IT, telecommunications, communication; administrative personnel; accounting, finance, business economics. Employers generally require sales experts (salespersons, financial experts, and managers). Meanwhile, applicants are also interested in these sectors, but rank them in a different order: administrative personnel; accounting, finance, and business economics; sales (office work and retail trade); restaurant business; internet, IT, telecommunications, and communication. These facts are indicative of a relative balance on the labor market in Kyrgyzstan.
In Moldova, the most common openings are ones in the following sector: home and office support personnel; trade and sales; transport and logistics; manufacturing, industrial sector; education. The demand is dominated by openings in the service sector. When it comes to supply, the most popular sectors are: management; trade, sales; secretary, office manager; construction, real estate; logistics, transport; manufacturing, warehousing. Applicants are interested in both the manufacturing and the service sectors. Supply and demand partially match in such sectors as: trade and sales; transport and logistics; manufacturing. However, in general, the labor market of Moldova can be considered insufficiently balanced.
In the Russian Federation, the most sought-for specialists are ones in the following sectors: construction; top management; IT, computers, internet; engineers/technologies/designers; tourism/hotels/restaurants. The labor market is characterized by a wide range of well-developed fields of activity. Among applicants, the most popular sectors are as follows: manufacturing; trade/sales; transport/automobile service; secretary/office manager; construction. The only matching item on the above top-five lists is construction. At that, this item is first on the job openings list and last on the resume list. This is indicative of an imbalance of supply and demand on the labor market of the Russian Federation.
The sectors that are most in-demand in Tajikistan are manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, education, and sales (retail trade). The most sought-for specializations in Tajikistan are manufacturing and related specializations. This is predetermined by the respective orientation of the country’s economic policy. Among applicants, the most popular sectors are insurance, marketing, manufacturing, construction, and real estate. The only matching sector on both lists is manufacturing, but it is ranked differently. This fact is indicative of a considerable imbalance in the labor market of Tajikistan.
Turkmenistan is actively developing its petroleum industry. This trend has a direct effect on the labor market. The profitability of this type of activity attracts both employers and workforce. At that, the education system also helps to provide the petroleum industry with the required experts. Therefore, in the labor market of Turkmenistan, the most in-demand experts are ones in the following sectors: petroleum and other production; construction; finance; marketing; medicine. Other popular fields are part of the service sector. Among applicants, the most popular sectors are administrative work; petroleum and other production; finance; service sector; trade. The matching items on the supply and demand lists include petroleum and other production and finance; however, the ranking of petroleum and other production differs in the respective lists. These factors are indicative of a considerable imbalance in the labor market of Turkmenistan.
The most common job openings found in the labor market of Uzbekistan are ones from the following sectors: sales (office work); accounting, finance and business economics; administrative personnel; internet, IT, telecommunications, and communication; manufacturing, agriculture. The most sought-for specialists are ones that maintain the activity of companies and agricultural complexes, which is predetermined by the focus of the national economic policy. At that, applicants look for jobs primarily in the following sectors: accounting, finance and business economics; administrative personnel; logistics, transport, warehousing; top management, management; sales (office work). Blue-collar jobs are unpopular among applicants. Partial matches in supply and demand are found in such sectors as sales (office work); accounting, finance and business economics; administrative personnel. However, the ranking of these sectors differs in the two groups. These facts are indicative of a partial imbalance in the labor market of Uzbekistan.
In Ukraine, the industrial sector is underdeveloped, which is why the most popular sectors are the trade and service sector. The most common job openings are: sales, procurement; service sector; blue-collar jobs, manufacturing; IT, computers, internet; hotel and restaurant business, tourism. Meanwhile, applicants generally send their resumes to apply for jobs in the following sectors: administration, middle management; secretariat, paperwork management; administrative and economic department; sales, procurement; retail trade; blue-collar jobs, manufacturing; service sector. Partial matches in supply and demand are found in such sectors as sales, procurement; service sector. At that, their rankings on the supply and demand lists differ. These facts are indicative of a considerable imbalance in the labor market of Ukraine.
The study found that the best indices of the balance of supply and demand of workforce were in Kyrgyzstan and Belarus. Their labor markets are characterized by the most rational correlation of workforce supply and demand. This is indicative of the potential employment opportunities for applicants, especially young people. The worst situation was found on the labor markets of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. In these countries, the interests of applicants do not match the needs of employers, which cause high unemployment rates.
Analysis of the Trajectory of Young People on the Labor Market of the Commonwealth of Independent States
When considering their future career prospects, most young people have only a cursory view on the specialties they choose, which is affected by some generally accepted stereotypes regarding the prestige this or that job. It happens due to poor public awareness (schools, universities, family, and mass media) of the jobs in demand. Young people generally take patterns set by society as a guidance and often believe blue-collar jobs to be low-class and low-income. In this respect, young people can hardly assume that the prospects of professional growth, prestige, earnings, and demand on the labor market primarily depend on professionalism and personal concern with professional self-fulfillment.
The research involved a survey of 1084 senior students who studied in the Commonwealth of Independent States. The survey showed the peculiarities of the graduates’ employment trajectories. We studied the graduates’ awareness of the situation and trends on the labor market, their certainty in their future profession, combination of part-time employment and learning, the usefulness of the services provided by employment bureaus, and whether graduates had an employment strategy (Table 1).
| Table 1 Graduates’ Commitment To Employment |
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| Country | Are aware of the situation on the labor market | Have chosen their future profession | Combine part-time employment with learning | Have used the services of employment bureaus | Have chosen the means of employment | |
| 1 | Azerbaijan | 0.67 | 0.87 | 0.31 | 0.09 | 0.55 |
| 2 | Armenia | 0.43 | 0.85 | 0.32 | 0.07 | 0.41 |
| 3 | Belarus | 0.86 | 0.96 | 0.25 | 0.11 | 0.72 |
| 4 | Kazakhstan | 0.71 | 0.87 | 0.36 | 0.04 | 0.54 |
| 5 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.85 | 0.89 | 0.47 | 0.07 | 0.53 |
| 6 | Moldova | 0.74 | 0.75 | 0.35 | 0.05 | 0.57 |
| 7 | Russia | 0.8 | 0.81 | 0.48 | 0.1 | 0.64 |
| 8 | Tajikistan | 0.65 | 0.82 | 0.4 | 0.09 | 0.58 |
| 9 | Turkmenistan | 0.71 | 0.79 | 0.41 | 0.08 | 0.62 |
| 10 | Uzbekistan | 0.75 | 0.77 | 0.27 | 0.09 | 0.67 |
| 11 | Ukraine | 0.81 | 0.84 | 0.45 | 0.06 | 0.69 |
It was found that not all respondents planned on working within their specialty after graduation. Azerbaijan (49%), Armenia (54%), Belarus (87%), Kazakhstan (58%), Kyrgyzstan (67%), Moldova (45%), Russia (51%), Tajikistan (62%), Turkmenistan (51%), Uzbekistan (46%), Ukraine (64%). In addition, about half of the respondents who combined learning and part-time employment did not work within their specialty. Their took part-time jobs to earn enough money to sustain themselves, not to learn the fields they were majoring in or the profession they wish to master in the future. However, those who combine learning with part-time employment within their specialty have a higher chance of finding a job in the future, since they have working experience, the opportunity to choose to work full-time for the company their worked part-time for, and are better aware of the needs of potential employers.
More than 25% of graduates did not investigate the trends on the labor market and were not fully aware of the demand for their profession and the competition in the labor market in that sector. In addition, a significant part of graduates did not yet choose their future profession.
It was found that the respondents did not consider the assistance of national employment bureaus effective. They preferred searching for jobs through nongovernmental employment websites or by exchanging information with their acquaintances. At that, not all graduates chose the means of searching for a job.
Obtained data are indicative of a problem with the formation of a job search trajectory among young people. Furthermore, young people do not have sufficient knowledge and possibilities to find an optimal job independently, while specialized organizations that could help them in an effective manner are non-existent.
Countries, in which demand significantly exceeds supply are characterized by high unemployment rates and large numbers of people who are forced to work outside their specialty. The most vulnerable demographic are young people, since they do not always have enough working experience or their own niche in the labor market (Lewis & Heyes, 2017). In order to balance out the supply and demand of workforce, it is necessary to develop interesting and promising sectors on the one hand and to stimulate young people’s interest in mastering highly demanded jobs on the other hand. In order to interest young people in certain professions, it is necessary to implement propaganda programs, create effective education systems, and encourage the choice of jobs that are required by the economy. Programs should be developed by both national and local authorities, employment bureaus, higher educational institutions, and mass media. In addition, family and acquaintances should help young people to choose their future profession and learning direction optimally (Williams & Chuprov, 2017).
It is also necessary to develop social services that would give advice on the choice of profession and employment of graduates. These services should help young people to choose the optimal place of work and future career development, with regard to regional, branch-specific, and professional differences on the labor market (Minola et al., 2014).
It is possible to improve the possibilities of employment by implementing transition programs between the end of the learning process and employment. These programs will help to integrate young people into the professional working environment (Caliendo & Schmidl, 2016).
For young people to not be afraid of changing jobs and not suffer with problematic posts, it is necessary to develop the social protection in the form of an employment insurance system. This system should include unemployment insurance and protect the right to change the type and duration of workhours (for instance, full-time or part-time employment), compensate for the transfer to a different position or to a different department of the company (Huber, 2017).
It is expedient to develop and implement a state program for the support of youth entrepreneurship. This requires financial support, tax concessions, and the development of training programs and counselling centers for youth entrepreneurship. In addition, educational institutions should monitor the opportunities of graduate employment. If flaws are discovered in the educational process that reduces the competitiveness of graduates, educational programs should be adjusted appropriately.
The study examined the world experience in youth employment and assessed the state of the labor market in post-Soviet countries and problems with youth employment. Based on the analysis, a mechanism for improving the process of youth employment in the Commonwealth of Independent States was established.
The employment process and the reduction of unemployment among young people can be facilitated by social workers. Another major role is played by mentorship (relatives, teachers, employers, and other persons). In order to search for jobs effectively, young people should have appropriate training and an appropriate attitude. This is influenced significantly by institutional support in educational institutions, which facilitates and stimulates young people to direct all possible efforts to achieve set goals. In addition, the formation of individual trajectories into the labor market is largely affected by one’s family and acquaintances. Special emphasis is placed in the influence of parents.
Great responsibility for youth employment lies on higher educational institutions. However, they often fail to cope with their job properly. At that, the management of higher educational institutions focuses the educational program on the students’ gain of personal experience in a professional environment. Higher educational institutions should constantly modernize their respective curricula and maintain them at a high level.
A significant role in the employment support in developed countries is played by trade unions and employment and career counselling centers, which offer their services to both citizens of their respective countries and immigrants. The involvement of young people in entrepreneurship takes place in many economically developed countries and the interest in this trend is rising constantly. Respective governmental and nongovernmental programs are being developed to that end.
In the modern world, changes in the labor market require introducing and using an efficient insurance system in case of unemployment. The new employment insurance system should take into account both current and future features and risks of the labor market. In addition to unemployment, it should also cover forced transfers from one position to another, changes in the schedule or work location, etc.
Each member country of the Commonwealth of Independent States has its dominant courses on the labor market. Each member country of the Commonwealth of Independent States has its own dominating trends in the labor market. This is determined by the nature of the market economy and production capacities. However, not all national labor markets in member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States have a balance of job openings and applicants. The study found that the best indices of the balance of supply and demand of workforce were in Kyrgyzstan and Belarus. Their labor markets are characterized by the most rational correlation of workforce supply and demand. This is indicative of the potential employment opportunities for applicants, especially young people. The worst situation was found on the labor markets of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. In these countries, the interests of applicants do not match the needs of employers, which cause high unemployment rates.
There are also problems with the formation of an employment trajectory among young people. A considerable number of surveyed respondents did not plan on working within their specialty or did not yet choose their future profession. Graduates are not fully aware of the state of the labor market and do not have a cohesive job search strategy. In the studied countries, the work of employment bureaus was ineffective, while state support of employment was insufficient.
In order to solve these problems, it is expedient to stimulate the interest of young people in mastering the professions that are in demand through various programs and privileges. The development of social services that give advice on the choice of professions and employment of graduates will have a positive effect on youth employment. In addition, it is possible to improve the possibilities of employment by implementing transition programs between the end of the learning process and employment. Employment insurance should be implemented to stimulate the search for the optimal job. An alternative to youth employment is youth entrepreneurship, which also needs state support.
This study is of practical and theoretical value. It collects theoretical information about the international experience of youth employment regulation. The study also showed the state of labor markets in the member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the readiness of their graduates for employment. The obtained data were used to develop practical recommendations that could be used in the Commonwealth of Independent States and beyond.
As a prospect for follow-up studies, the plan is to investigate the mechanism of improvement of youth entrepreneurship.