Chelyabinsk Region Government and the Russian Federation Government signed an agreement targeted at solving the labor market’s current problems. The signatories were represented by Governor of Chelyabinsk Region Petr Sumin and Head of the Federal Labor and Employment Service Yuri Gertsiy.

The agreement is valid throughout the year 2009 and provides for some financial aid to the unemployment-fighting agencies. The federal government has promised to supply Chelyabinsk Region with 570 million RUR, while the region’s government is to spend 30 million RUR on this. According to the spokesperson for the Governor, both sums will be distributed along four basic directions. First, workers under the greatest risk of being made redundant will be able to undergo professional retraining. There is enough money to give new professional skills to 10,802 people. Next, some 450 million RUR will be spent on giving community service-type of jobs to 22,127 people. Then, 588 regional dwellers will have their moving expenses covered, as they are to move to places with jobs for them. About 32 million RUR has been allocated for this. Finally, 32 million RUR worth of subsidies will be given to people who lost their jobs and would now like to set up their own business.