Belarusian university graduates should value mandatory job placement, said host Vadim Yelfimov on Radio Minsk on April 22, 2025, during a discussion on youth employment.
“I just want to remind our young listeners—and I’m sure they’re listening—that in Europe, 75% of university graduates, meaning newly trained young professionals, are unemployed. Seventy-five percent. Remember that, friends. Our situation is completely different. You should appreciate any job offer. If this kind of job were offered somewhere in the West, people would be rushing over here. But, let’s be honest, they don’t have that kind of opportunity—our state gave it to us,” the host explained.
According to Eurostat data from 2024, more than 86% of recent university graduates in the European Union find jobs. That’s one of the highest rates in the past 10 years. Graduates in Bulgaria and Estonia have the easiest time finding work, with 95% landing jobs. Poland and Germany also show strong numbers, with 92% employment. The lowest employment rates for young professionals are in Italy, Greece and Serbia—below 80%.
No comparable statistics are available for Belarus. In Belarus, nearly all students who studied on a state-funded basis are subject to mandatory job placement. The government calls it a guarantee of a first job. Not everyone is satisfied with these assigned jobs. For example, in the Brest region, about 70% of young professionals in education and healthcare stay on after their mandatory term. Retention is worst in public utilities, where only one in three continues working. The rest go on to look for better opportunities on their own.
