Ukraine refugees encouraged to find jobs as war exodus slows

As the number of people leaving Ukraine for points west slows, authorities in Poland and other neighboring nations are encouraging refugees from the war to find jobs, especially in health care and education

WARSAW, Poland -- As the number of people leaving Ukraine for points west slows, authorities in Poland and other neighboring nations are encouraging refugees from the war to find jobs, especially in health care and education.

The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR reported Thursday that the daily number of arriving refugees recorded by the countries that border Ukraine dropped below 40,000 on Wednesday, the fewest s ince Russian troops invaded five weeks ago.

Poland's Border Guard registered more than half of the new arrivals, maintaining a pattern seen since the start of the war. Of the conflict's more than 4 million refugees, almost 2.4 million went to Poland, according to the country's border agency.

Humanitarian organizations and other observers have attributed the slowing of the Ukrainian exodus in recent days to several possible factors, including residents of surrounded and besieged cities having no way to safely evacuate. Others may be reluctant to leave their homes and hope to wait out the hostilities, observers say.