Unemployment statistics speaks of discrimination of Russian-speaking people in Estonia

Estonia’s Statistics Department has published data saying the level of unemployment among national minorities in that country is 1.64-fold higher than among the titular nation, an EADaily correspondent reports.

In Q2 2015, there were 684,600 employable citizens at the age of 15-74, of which 473.7 thousand were Estonians, 221.6 thousand were the Russian-speaking minority. In Q2 2014, the employable population totaled 695,300 including 475.3 thousand Estonians and 209.3 thousand Russian-speaking minority. The people whose native language is Russian account for about 30% of the total population of Estonia. The department’s report says the unemployment level among Estonians and the Russian-speaking population is 5.4% and 8.9%, respectively. In other words, comparing to the same period of 2014, the unemployment level fell by 0.3% and 1.2%, respectively.

The unemployment fell mainly as migration continues. The population of Estonia has been shrinking every year for already 25 years mainly because the death rate exceeds the birth rate and there is negative migration balance. By official data of the Statistics Department, the number of the population at the beginning of the year was 1312.2 thousand people. It was nearly by 4,000 people less than a year ago.

After Estonia joined the European Union, nearly 51,000 people left the country in the period from 2004-2013, which accounts for about 4% of the total population. Absolute majority of emigrants (81%) are employable citizens at the age of 15-64, most of the emigrants were at the age of 25-44 and accounted for 47% of total emigrants. People above 45 (20%) and the youth at the age of 15-24 (17%) left the country more frequently than others did.

The data of the Statistics Department speak of the discrimination against representatives of the national minorities who face more employment problems, have less prestigious and low-paid jobs than the titular nation.