Features and Trends in External Migration in the Republic of Belarus

Abstract

This study identified the major trends in external migration, typical of the current development stage of the Republic of Belarus and their effect on the economy. The consequences of the global financial and economic crisis had a considerable impact on migration flows around the globe. These processes are reflected in the growing tension in the labour markets in different countries. The basic features of the Belarusian labour market remain the low share of the private sector and excessive state interventionism. For the Belarusian economy, which is in transition, the initial inflow of foreign labour resources at the beginning of the 2000s has transformed into a clear trend towards an outflow of skilled workers. This trend requires a detailed analysis of current processes and identification of the major directions and causes of migration, especially in the depopulation processes observed. The analysis presented in this paper is based on data from the National Statistics Committee of the Republic of Belarus and covers the years 2014-2018. The comparative statistical analysis method used in the study (creating time series reflecting changes of the phenomenon over time) identified the current trends and characteristic features of internal migration processes in the Republic of Belarus. Moreover, the main directions of population movements were determined as well as the causes of changes in the structure and intensity of migration flows.