BUSINESS

Elena Kirillova, of the Moscow News, spoke to job-seekers at an employment centre in southern Moscow, where long lines of people complained that only a few, low-paid jobs were on offer.

Valentina, 38 (translator): Soon I will have been on the employment centre's books for five months. I can't see why its employees get their wages, which are not small, I'm sure. At least once a month I come here and we look through vacancies together. They offer me a couple, although it's obvious they don't fit me, but it is necessary for a formal log entry. After my refusal we part, expecting a similarly ineffective meeting in the near future. And this 3,000-rouble benefit is pathetic. What can you buy with this money? Become a tramp and eat only potatoes, that's all.

Vadim, 30 (administrator): I have been here for four months already! It makes no sense at all! They offer such crap vacancies, that it's not worth talking about them. 10,000 rubles salary and in such trash locations that I would not go there even for a thousand bucks. I doubt that someone could find a normal job through this. Even these vacancies have decreased lately. Also, the payments are always held up and there is something strange about the way they are paid. I never get the proper sum for the month.

Ksenia, 30 (economist): It is very hard to obtain a grant from our government. The standard 3,000 a month isn't paid! It really makes me want to send them away with a flea in their ear, but I keep cool. Let them pay! And the vacancies - salesmen, phone operators, receptionists! How can I accept this with my education and experience of being a senior manager?

Diana, 32 (layout designer): They greeted me nicely, but I saw straight away that their database doesnt have the work I need. There was no layout-designer. Almost all the vacancies are somewhere in Mytishchi, and I live in Yugo-Zapadnaya. I personally don't consider it reasonable to go to Mytishchi five days a week for 12,000 roubles a month. The wages are shocking. These job offers are only to show they are doing something. The officials need to justify their salaries somehow.

Alexander, 41 (teacher): I'm out of polite words for today. I was at a seminar given by the employment centre. They gather 10 unemployed people and start to "enlighten" them. First they explained us our rights and obligations, and we at least heard something useful, though basically it sounded like: "Well, well, idlers-parasites-alcoholics. You must look for a job, instead of scrounging off the government." The woman was talking to educated, experienced people, who recently had well-paid jobs. The unemployed are becoming less attractive to employers and the number of jobs is shrinking. But the employment centre has to spend at least some time on us. There were different courses and training but now there is nothing. They've stopped being financed, they say. Therefore they thought up a series of compulsory seminars. Today we were taught how to write a CV and behave in an interview. We got three sheets of paper each. One had a list of search engines and personnel agencies. The second was a sample CV, made very badly, I should say. Well, I'm sure you can write a CV yourself, was the trainer's excuse. The third had reasons why employers often turn down applications. Among the listed reasons were: poor appearance, know-it-all manners and ignorance of etiquette. Each line had a smiley on it. In the next seminar I will explain to them exactly what I think of their "assistance". I hate it when people are treated like donkeys.

Anna, 29 (lawyer): Today I wasted almost four hours. Yesterday there were different executives but now the new ones require completely different documents. My third visit is postponed until Friday. I'm waiting for the papers to be ready. They helped my colleague to find a job within the government structure, so I am laying my hopes on them even though the executives are really rude and a hell lot of time is spent on all this registering stuff. I know that older people have more trouble with the age limits. I've been told some over-40s are stuck here for six months.