"Zoomers" will have a hard time: Kim explained how migrants can force everyone to work

The head of the Mykolaiv RMA Vitaliy Kim on the air of “Novyny.LIVE” commented on the possible involvement of labor migrants in Ukraine. According to him, the process itself is not something unique: labor migration happens constantly around the world, but the key question is what rules the state will set for foreign workers and how it will control their enforcement. The official emphasized that people’s behavior depends not on nationality but on clear norms, responsibility and state policy. As an example he cited Europe, the UAE and America, where arrivals are forced to follow local requirements because violations carry substantial fines or other consequences.

Commenting on attitudes toward migrants, Vitaliy Kim said that any society has different people, so the decisive factors should be rules, not emotions.

“The percentage of idiots is the same in every nation. So this will depend on state policy. When we go to Europe, or to the countries of the UAE, or to America, we behave according to the rules of that country. Is alcohol prohibited, fine 2,000 euros? No one drinks alcohol. Is it not allowed to spit out gum? No one chews gum. Is it forbidden to fight there? No one fights. So this will depend on state policy — what conditions and rules we create for importing labor,” says the head of the RMA.

At the same time Vitaliy Kim admitted that Ukrainians are not perceived the same everywhere. In his view, different countries treat Ukrainians differently because Ukrainians themselves are different. He also noted that any society would hardly be delighted if foreigners came en masse and began to compete for jobs.

Separately, the head of the RMA drew attention to the fact that the arrival of labor migrants may intensify competition among workers. In his reasoning, when the country lacks personnel, employers are forced to hire people even with weak motivation. But if workers appear on the market who are ready to work more and for less money, Ukrainians will have to increase their productivity and qualifications.

Kim illustrated this with a hypothetical example of a young worker who does not want to work a full week but still gets a job because of staff shortages.

“For example, I sit here, I don’t want to work five days a week because I’m a ‘zoomer’. But they still hire me because there are no people. Ten labor migrants arrive and say: I’m ready to work without days off and for lower pay. What else can you do? Agree, and work more and better. That’s why our people have a more negative attitude toward labor migration — it increases competitiveness in the labor market, and everyone has to work,” summed up Vitaliy Kim.

Earlier we wrote:

• No one left to work: Kim announced a severe staffing shortage in Mykolaiv region
• Kim: due to mobilization Mykolaiv region is short up to 30% of staff — youth are leaving for safer regions
• Mykolaiv region is aging; more than 100,000 have left Mykolaiv, — Kim
• Only 6 of 200 interns chose Mykolaiv region, — Kim on the acute shortage of doctors
• A staffing crisis is choking Mykolaiv region: pensioners are saving healthcare, youth aren’t staying