Unemployment on the rise
Over the last couple of weeks, hundreds have been fired in Arkhangelsk as public offices and companies are forced to cut costs following the financial crisis. The forest processing industry is the one worst hit.
At the same time, there are big number of vacancies available, head of the local employment authority, Tatiana Marchenko, says to newspaper Pravda Severa. According to the newspaper alone the Onego wood processing plant is about to fire 140 employees and plans to cut more thousand jobs. Also the Arkhangelsk wood processing plant, as well as the plant in Solombala plan respectively 220 and 403 job cuts. According to regional employment authorities, the job situation is unstable also within the regional financial sector, the car business, construction industry and tourism. Many of the people fired have been given no warning and are will get not benefits from their former place of work. Also public authorities have been forced to cut jobs. According Tatiana Marchenko, both universities, emergency situations services and aviation control authorities are dismissing personnel. Ms. Marchenko still believes the situation today will not get close to the situation in parts of the 1990s when more than 15000 were registered as job seekers in the city. Now, the official number is only 1200. In addition, there are many vacancies. As many as 4000, Tatiana Marchenko says.
