The experience of conducting sociological surveys on migration mobility of Ukrainian youth is analyzed, including nationwide surveys of migrant workers with specifics for different age groups, surveys of youth commissioned by public authorities, and individual surveys of scientists and experts in special studies. A review of existing surveys allowed to identify the most extensive and authoritative studies and conduct a critical evaluation. These include “Youth of Ukraine” (commissioned by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine), “Migration activity of student youth of the Carpathian region of Ukraine” (Dolishniy Institute of Regional Research of NAS of Ukraine), “Research on migration sentiments of student youth in the conditions of visa liberalization” and “Study of migration attitudes of students of Lviv (Lviv Polytechnic)”, “Social aspects of the transition from school to university students of rural schools and schools of national minorities of Ukraine” (Taras Shevchenko National University of Luhansk), “Migration moods of student youth” (Uzhgorod National University). The article reveals that the results of the national surveys “External labor migration of the population of Ukraine” for 2008, 2012, and 2017 provide very limited information in terms of different age groups. It argues that despite some experience, there are no systematic sociological surveys of migration mobility of youth in Ukraine to determine the potential of migration and the causal characteristics of migration movements. Given the rapidly growing potential of youth migration in Ukraine, the positive dynamics of educational emigration and the need for sociological surveys of youth on the impact of migration mobility on the development and capitalization of human potential are substantiated. The results of such survey will provide information on how migration impacts the potential of youth and the development potential of the donor territory. The assessment of migration across various components of human potential confirms its impact on the development of youth potential, as well as income and wealth, and reveals the level of its capitalization. The authors emphasize an urgent need to conduct situational surveys of youth on the potential of migration and re-emigration intentions during mass forced displacements. 

migration mobility, migration potential, youth, human potential, sociological survey 

Intensification of emigration, deepening of the demographic and socioeconomic crisis actualize the need for applying adequate mechanisms of the state migration and socio-economic policy to slow down the pace of mass departure of population from Ukraine. This requires research and analysis of the main factors of external migration in order to regulate them. The article is devoted to analysis of the main factors of Ukraine’s population external migration. In particular, the following issues were analyzed: the dynamics of the average monthly nominal wages in Ukraine per one full-time employee (2002-2016 years) in hryvnia and dollar equivalents; the minimum wage in Ukraine in comparison with neighboring countries and the most attractive countries for Ukrainian migrants. If the level of wages in hryvnia is growing rapidly, then it falls in dollar terms, especially in 2014-2015 years. Totally, in spite of wages increasing the general level of households income is decreasing (according to their self-assessment) and the deterioration of purchasing power of the population takes place. During the last period Ukraine has the highest unemployment rate in comparison with neighboring countries. At the same time, our country occupies almost the last place (before Moldova) in the list of human development index of some countries (neighboring countries and countries which are the most often visited by Ukrainian migrants). Thus, low wages and high level of unemployment are the main factors that «push» Ukrainian citizens to neighboring countries. Liberalization of the visa regime with EU countries as well as migration, education and other kinds of policies of some countries (for example, the repatriation of persons of Polish origin, the creation of favorable conditions for the training of foreign students in Poland, Germany, Hungary, etc.) only intensify the existing emigration trends in Ukraine. In order to prevent the mass emigration of the Ukraine’s population, it is necessary to reform the wage system in the direction of increasing its level and improve the conditions of employment on the national labor market.