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Moldova Refugee Response: Inclusion and Livelihoods Working Group, Co-chaired by the State Chancellery and UNDP, Issue Brief #5 15 June 2022 [EN/RO]

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Refugees from Ukraine start from scratch on the Moldovan job market

Tatyana is a refugee from Ukraine. When the war started, she and her 11-yearold son left Odessa and came to Balti, Moldova. On the advice of her hosts, Tatyana sought the services of the subdivision of the National Employment Agency (NEA), where she was offered several job vacancies. Although she is an accountant, she chose to work as a laboratory technician for the Transoil group of companies/J.S.C. Floarea Soarelui (Sun’s Flower), a sunflower oil production plant.

“I wanted to start working as soon as possible. All I needed was to do something useful while spending my time here,” notes Tatyana. At the factory, she made friends with Anna, a refugee fellow from Mykolaiv.

“It was a discovery to learn and see how many tests are carried out before oil arrives on our tables. Now we appreciate it even more”, note both women say. They feel now familiar with the equipment and processes.

As of mid-June, almost 560 refugees have found jobs in the Moldovan labour market. Most refugees seek jobs in sectors similar to their work at home Ukraine. But, when their plans are turned upside down, they do not hesitate to learn new skills and gain professional experience. This is the case of Tatyana. Within two weeks of submitting her application she was hired by Floarea Soarelui.

Strategic partners UNDP and Switzerland support the NEA deliver job search services which include information, counselling, referral, and mediation services on the labour market. That support is also helping to raise awareness of the NEA’s services and of job opportunities among the refugee community. Beginning in May, the Agency also began offering short-term professional training courses to refugees located in Chisinau and Balti.

Since the onset of the war, 139 employers across Moldova have hired more than 2,100 job to Ukrainian refugees in: IT, construction, engineering, tailoring, trading, healthcare and more.