esaima
12-28-2010, 08:04 AM
In the current climate of lamenting a supposed exodus of the Estonian workforce, Minister of Social Affairs Hanno Pevkur has struck a different note, saying emigration is not a problem in Estonia.
Pevkur said the number of Estonians working abroad is not high and many will likely return home.
"It is true that some people who have gone abroad and have become settled have found a new home but many of them want to come back, too," said Pevkur at a press conference on December 17.
"There's nothing strange in going 'outside' and coming back later. It is completely positive," said the minister.
He said Estonia's situation is not unique. "I have talked with ambassadors from the Nordic countires and I constantly hear that there are many fewer Estonians in Sweden and Norway than there are Latvians and Lithuanians," said Pevkur.
The ministry's Deputy Secretary General Egle Käärats said that working abroad is a better option than staying in Estonia and falling into despair.
Pevkur noted that emigration depends on the economy and people's educational level. The better a person's education or the stronger the economy, the less likely they are to want to leave the country, he said. Youth and likelihood of moving abroad are also correlated.
http://news.err.ee/Economy/673fd46b-424d-4571-8511-07b0fe821c97
Pevkur said the number of Estonians working abroad is not high and many will likely return home.
"It is true that some people who have gone abroad and have become settled have found a new home but many of them want to come back, too," said Pevkur at a press conference on December 17.
"There's nothing strange in going 'outside' and coming back later. It is completely positive," said the minister.
He said Estonia's situation is not unique. "I have talked with ambassadors from the Nordic countires and I constantly hear that there are many fewer Estonians in Sweden and Norway than there are Latvians and Lithuanians," said Pevkur.
The ministry's Deputy Secretary General Egle Käärats said that working abroad is a better option than staying in Estonia and falling into despair.
Pevkur noted that emigration depends on the economy and people's educational level. The better a person's education or the stronger the economy, the less likely they are to want to leave the country, he said. Youth and likelihood of moving abroad are also correlated.
http://news.err.ee/Economy/673fd46b-424d-4571-8511-07b0fe821c97