In the economic literature the effects of emigration are associated mainly with its impact on the... more In the economic literature the effects of emigration are associated mainly with its impact on the labour market, money transfers, family environment and child care. This article examines these effects in Bulgaria during the last twenty-five years. On the basis of statistical data and sociological findings the author outlines both the positive and the negative effects of the Bulgarian emigration on the labour market, economic development and the family environment. He also studies some main trends of development of Bulgaria's migration policy, contributing to its activation. JEL: J11; J13; J61 In the context of ongoing intensive emigration flows, today the issues relating to immigrants and emigrants and the consequences for the socioeconomic development of the sender and of the receiver country are particularly relevant. The problem has been a subject to lively discussions in the international, European and national space. 1 But the observations and investigations on the impact of emigration in the receiver country is more systematically and thoroughly studied and examined, compared to the assessments of the countries, sending emigrants. Regardless of the unsystematic characteristics of these studies, most researchers conclude that emigration influences the socioeconomic development of the sender country in three main aspects: through changes in the demographic balance and the impact over the labour market, through money transfers and through changes in the social and family environment, in which the children of the emigrants are raised. Bulgaria is a country with a significant emigration outflow, which changes over the years, both in terms of its intensity and structure, yet remains sustainable over time. According to the experts' assessments the number of Bulgarian emigrants over the last last twenty five years varies in a wide range between 800 thousands to over 1 million people. Hence, the debate about the impacts of emigration over the socioeconomic development is important from the standpoint not solely of the intensity of the phenomenon, but also of the reasons for it, and particularly, of its impact. The analysis of the effects, which emigration has over socioeconomic development, faces serious informational challenges, since there are no systematized observations of these processes in Bulgaria. This requires the use of available national and international statistics as well as data from studies, conducted in the country and abroad. The goal of the present study is to confirm or reject the effects, commonly accepted in economic literature, of emigration on the sender country with regard to Bulgarian emigration during the new millennium.
Youth unemployment and in particular long-term youth unemployment in Bulgaria is much higher than... more Youth unemployment and in particular long-term youth unemployment in Bulgaria is much higher than the EU average. Low flows out of unemployment into a job, especially for the least educated and qualified young people residing in peripheral regions, are the principal source of long-term unemployment amongst young people. Evidence based on various data sources suggests on one hand that the most disadvantaged segments of the young population are left with two equally unsatisfactory alternatives: working in the informal sector and thus, in practice, often permanently withdrawing from the labour force, or emigrating. On the other hand, employment policies face significant financial and institutional constraints. Increasingly, with rising overall unemployment, passive policy is absorbing an increasing proportion of expenditure on labour market policy to the detriment of active policies. Moreover, important segments of young people are being bypassed by those active measures that do exist. An appropriate response requires action at the level of the education system as well as a more extensive and more effective active labour market policy. This paper concludes with some suggestions as to the way in which such policies might be developed.
Expert Group on Gender, Social Inclusion and Employment ... Colette Fagan, Peter Urwin and Kathry... more Expert Group on Gender, Social Inclusion and Employment ... Colette Fagan, Peter Urwin and Kathryn Melling ... European Commission Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Unit G.1 ... Danièle Meulders and Jérôme de Henau (BE) Iskra ...
Ефектите от кризата в съседна Гърция върху заетостта на българските работници не се очаква да за ... more Ефектите от кризата в съседна Гърция върху заетостта на българските работници не се очаква да за големи поради спецификата на секторите, в които работят българите там. Пряко ще бъдат засегнати техните доходи, което косвено ще се отрази и върху паричните трансфери към България и бюджетите на онези български домакинства, които разчитат на парите, заработени в чужбина от техните членове.
Демографската криза в България все повече се задълбочава, а нейните проявления върху пазара на тр... more Демографската криза в България все повече се задълбочава, а нейните проявления върху пазара на труда се открояват особено силно в последните години, когато икономиката попадна под шоковете на икономическа и социална криза. Очерталите се още от средата на миналия век демографски дисбаланси между раждаемост и смъртност се допълниха от засилени емиграционни вълни от края на миналия век и продължаващи досега. Сред емигрантите са значителна част от трудоспособната сила на страната, включително и много млади хора, мотивирани да получат по-добро образование, но и по-добра работа, което прави връщането им обратно в страната проблемно.
nEsurr,rE : Le processus de transition du plan au march6 a fortement d6s6quilibr6 le march6 du tr... more nEsurr,rE : Le processus de transition du plan au march6 a fortement d6s6quilibr6 le march6 du travail bulgare. L'auteur pr6sente l'6volution des r6formes 6conomiques, ainsi que les principaux facteurs qui sont h I'origine de la mutation radicale de I'emploi et du chOmage 6lev6 et persistant observ6s pendant les sept premidres ann6es de la r6forme. Il expose les grandes lignes des politiques men6es et analyse leur efficacit6.
There are at least two facts that presently outline the importance of matching labour supply and ... more There are at least two facts that presently outline the importance of matching labour supply and demand in Bulgarian, namely: (a) the increasing demand of labour as a result of the stable economic development and (b) the delay in the restructuring of the educational, incl. vocational system. These two facts deepen the existing skill gap accumulated in the period of economic restructuring. There are also other factors contributing for increasing skill gap e.g. the labour emigration and especially that of skilled labour, the aging of the population, the relatively low economic activity, compared to EU average etc. Due to this the discussion of the sector based approach and the relevant mechanisms, applied in Wales as well as the lessons learned until now could be useful and helpful for Bulgarian policymakers in the field of the labour market.
The study analyses the trends in the development of flexible forms of work organization in Bulgar... more The study analyses the trends in the development of flexible forms of work organization in Bulgaria since its transition to market economy. It concentrates on different forms of part time work and temporary contracts, as well as on the development of new forms as telework, home work, self-employment, etc. The analysis of the flexible contractual and working time arrangements shows that the process of introducing and promoting new forms of employment and working time patterns undergoes development through significant diversification of the existing regulatory frameworks and their practical implementation. However, the role of the flexible forms as a “buffers” related to labour mobility in and out the labour market is still insignificant. The study draws out a number of recommendations for the further development of flexible contractual relationships and working hours so as to improve the labour force utilization and capacity.
The anti-crisis policy of the EU and EU members has been analyzed in order to reduce the negative... more The anti-crisis policy of the EU and EU members has been analyzed in order to reduce the negative effects of the contemporary global crisis on the labor markets. This is a monitoring of the scale of the crisis on the quantity and quality parameters of the labor markets in the European countries and in Bulgaria with comments on the effects of the short-term policies to overcome the initial crisis shocks. The palliative nature of these policies and the necessity of up-to-date transition to structured-based policies are underlined. The mix of short-term anti-crisis measures and the fundamental structural changes in the labor market is the successful strategy to restructure the labor markets, in order to achieve a higher labor productivity, higher competitiveness and more dynamic economic growth.
This study develops the issue of Decent work in Bulgaria focusing on employment conditions e.g. e... more This study develops the issue of Decent work in Bulgaria focusing on employment conditions e.g. employment contracts, working time, wages, health and safety at work place, access to training, conciliation of work and family, as well as some specific issues like child labour, in particular. When studying the effects of structural and technological transformations in Bulgaria on decent work environment the authors have paid special attention on the analysis of the interrelations and linkages between the different elements of decent work. Important aspect of the analysis is that of the relevance between some economic and social policies and the achieved progress. The development of socio-economic and political environment in Bulgaria in the period 1995-2006 outlines stable upward trend of improvement in work conditions. In some segments the improvement had been more visible, while in others – not. Irrespective of this, the ongoing debates on the issues and the more attention, paid by p...
The state of the labour market in Bulgaria is analyzed from the viewpoint of the basic criteria f... more The state of the labour market in Bulgaria is analyzed from the viewpoint of the basic criteria for integration with the EU and the requirements for equality in positioning of the countries. Areas of problems are drawn such as sustained unequilibrium between supply and demand of labour, low labour activity, ineffective restructuring of employment, considerable lagging in the development high technology type of employment and lagging development in the quality of the human potential. The necessity is pointed out of reorientation of the regulations of the labour market in view of getting nearer to the criteria for membership in the EU and cutting hidden employment, improving the adaptability of labour and orientation of the active policies of the labour market to purposeful selection of the risk groups.
The article studies the crisis’ effects on the development of the labour markets in Europe and in... more The article studies the crisis’ effects on the development of the labour markets in Europe and in Bulgaria, in particular. It outlines the strong decrease in labour demand and high unemployment in a considerable part of the member-countries as well as the decrease in households’ income and the standard of living dynamics. The increasing pressure on public finances under crisis conditions encounters their restricted opportunities, additionally limited by the strict fiscal consideration carried out. The active labour market policies, carried out manage partially and temporary to compensate for the negative effects of the crisis. All this gives rise to challenges facing the European Strategy 2020 goals and calls for reviewing the managerial and financial mechanisms, triggering for its achievement.
The situation of labour market in Bulgaria has been analyzed in the light of the basic criteria f... more The situation of labour market in Bulgaria has been analyzed in the light of the basic criteria for EU accession and the requirements for equal position of the countries. Problem areas like sustainable disequilibrium between labour demand and supply, low labour activity, ineffective employment restructuring, significant delay in the development of high-tech employment and retarded development in the human potential’s quality have been outlined. There has been described the need for re-orientation of the labour market regulations in order to approximate the EU membership criteria for reduction of hidden employment, increase the labour forces adaptation and orientation of the active labour market policies towards targeted selection of risk groups.
The Contribution of Operational Program “Human Resource Development 2007-2013” for Encouraging Employment and Labour Productivity in Bulgaria
The present study aims to outline the effect of the first Operational Program "Human resourc... more The present study aims to outline the effect of the first Operational Program "Human resource Development" conducted in Bulgaria in the period 2007-2013 on the labour market and on labour inclusion and productivity, in particular. It employs different quantities and qualities indicators to present the achievements of a total of EUR 402,4 millions, allocated for encouraging economic activity for increasing labour productivity. The study outlines the positive effects and some negatives of the conducted policies and draws out recommendations for improvements.
The study discusses the administrative organization of the labor market in Bulgaria from point of... more The study discusses the administrative organization of the labor market in Bulgaria from point of view of its structure, functionality, management and capacity. The study makes a review of the scientific discussion regarding the place and role of the institutions and the labor market, in particular for increasing the effectiveness of the economy. The analysis of the structure, functions, management and capacity of the administrative system of this market from point of view of the contemporary dynamic social-economic changes allows formulating many recommendations concerning the changes in the mentioned areas for improving its administrative service.
The paper studies the relation between the economic cycle and the labor market development in dif... more The paper studies the relation between the economic cycle and the labor market development in different periods of the economic cycle in the years 1990-2010. The impacts of the cyclic economic development on the forming and developing of the labor market is traced through evaluations of the degree of balancing of the labor demand and supply, employment restructuring, labor force mobility and labor market flexibility. The paper analyzes also the impact of other internal and external factors on the development of the labor market in the different stages of the cycle. It draws conclusions on the connection between growth and employment in the different stages of the economic cycle, outlining the stronger dependence in the transition period and the weaker influence of the growth on the employment in the period of stabilization and growth. The paper states the significance of the stabilization for the labor force restructuring, for the development of the forms of employment and for incre...
The study of the segmentation of the labor market in the country aims to enrich the existing body... more The study of the segmentation of the labor market in the country aims to enrich the existing body of knowledge relating to this issue. A methodological framework was elaborated to study the labour market segmentation by income and employment profiles, based on data from monitoring specific labor and specific income pursuant to individual observations of the National Statistics Institute. There is a link between a specific type of labor and a specific income in compliance with specific criteria to define available or non-available segmentation on the labor market. For the implementation of the specific assignments a survey methodology is proposed in conformity with the European Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) survey. Bulgaria is involved therein since 2006.
The labour market status and policy in Bulgaria are analysed in the light of the main objectives ... more The labour market status and policy in Bulgaria are analysed in the light of the main objectives of the European Employment Strategy (EES). However, the achievements of the key strategic objectives for full employment, labour quality and productivity, social inclusion and social cohesion remain a problem for Bulgaria in a mid-term, as well as in a long-term aspect because of unfavourable economic, demographic and social factors. Proposals are made for a more active impact on the labour market by enriching policy mechanisms and instruments, as well as for improving organisational and institutional relationships.
Economic Aspects of the European Integration in R Bulgaria and R Macedonia
SCIENTIFIC LIFE: Information about a Bulgarian-Macedonian scientific workshop held oh 25-26 Septe... more SCIENTIFIC LIFE: Information about a Bulgarian-Macedonian scientific workshop held oh 25-26 September 2002 i n Sofia.
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