The countries in the Western Balkans have been severely affected by the wars and conflicts that led to the breakup of former Yugoslavia, by political instability and the effort of creating new states, weak economies and high levels of unemployment, poverty and social exclusion, and inequality. As revealed by recent surveys, such as EBRD’s Life in Transition Survey and Eurofound’s European Quality of Life Survey, life satisfaction in the region is far below that elsewhere in Europe. In recent years they had achieved a strong impetus of economic growth with falling rates of unemployment and increasing optimism for the future. However, the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 has brought about a sudden reversal of these trends and a renewed deterioration in the economic outlook, and an increase in social hardships that heralds a repeat of past failures in economic inclusion policies. This book identifies the key challenges in the areas of economic inclusion, focusing on the themes of labour markets, vocational education and skills, female entrepreneurship and the integration of migrants. It considers the opportunities for solutions to “build back better” once the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis begins, and offers proposals for more acceptable, equitable and effective economic inclusion policies.
Author(s): William Bartlett, Milica Uvalić
Series: New Perspectives on South-East Europe
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 392
City: Cham
Foreword
Preface
Contents
Notes on Contributors
Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
Chapter 1: Introduction: Key Challenges for Economic Inclusion in the Western Balkans
References
Part I: Labour Market Inclusion
Chapter 2: A Low-Wage, High-Tax Trap in the Western Balkans
1 Introduction
2 Labour Market Performance and Low Wages in the Western Balkans
3 Labour Taxation
3.1 Albania
3.2 Bosnia and Herzegovina
3.3 Kosovo
3.4 Montenegro
3.5 North Macedonia
3.6 Serbia
4 The Size and Structure of Labour Tax Burden in the Western Balkans
4.1 Tax Wedges for a Single Worker Without Dependents
4.2 Tax Wedges for a One-Earner Couple with Two Children
5 Conclusions
References
Chapter 3: Envelope Wages in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Incidence and Distributional Implications
1 Introduction
2 Implications of Income Underreporting
3 Labour Market and Envelope Wages in Bosnia and Herzegovina
4 Empirical Strategy
5 Results
6 Conclusions
References
Chapter 4: Horizontal Job-Education Mismatch in Kosovo: Is There a Gender Gap?
1 Introduction
2 Horizontal Mismatch and Labour Market Performance
3 The Context
4 Methodology
4.1 Econometric Model
4.2 Variables
5 Empirical Results
6 What Local Examples Can Tell Us About the Job-Education Mismatch
7 Conclusions and Policy Implications
References
Chapter 5: Cross-national Comparison of Job Types: Analysis Using the EU LFS and Albanian LFS
1 Introduction
2 Institutional Settings and Implications for Unemployment Regimes
3 Data and Methodological Approach
3.1 Data
3.2 Variables
3.3 Structure of the Multivariate Micro-Macro Model
4 Results
4.1 Descriptive Analysis
4.2 Ordered Logit Estimation
4.3 Ordered Logit Results
5 Conclusion
Appendix: Variables and Descriptive Statistics
References
Part II: Vocational Training and Skills
Chapter 6: The Professional Training Programme in Montenegro: An Active Labour Market Policy or a Way to Fill the Structural Gap?
1 Introduction
2 Active Labour Market Measures: What Works
3 Montenegrin Government’s Programme for Professional Training
3.1 How Effective Has the Programme of Professional Training Been?
3.2 Further Impact of the Programme of Professional Training
Public Versus Private Sector
Regional Migration
ALMPs as a Way to Fill the Structural Gap
4 Conclusions
References
Chapter 7: The Quality of Vocational Training and the Position of the Individual in the Labour market in Serbia
1 Introduction
2 On-the-Job Training in a Real Work Environment
3 Methodology
4 Research Results
4.1 The Quality of Short-Term Vocational Training (STVT)
4.2 Characteristics of Trainees and the Quality of STVT
4.3 Quality of Short-Term Vocational Training and Employment
4.4 Quality of Short-Term Vocational Training and Employment in New Jobs
5 Concluding Remarks
References
Chapter 8: The Apprenticeship System in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Myth or Reality?
1 Introduction
2 Vocational Education and Training in the EU
3 The Education System in Bosnia and Herzegovina
4 Research Methodology
5 Analysis of Apprenticeship Classes in BiH
6 Conclusions and Recommendations
References
Part III: Female Entrepreneurship
Chapter 9: Case Study on Female Entrepreneurship in Bosnia and Herzegovina
1 Introduction
2 Research Methodology
2.1 Convenience Sampling
2.2 Questionnaire Design
3 Discussion of Research Results
3.1 Short Profile of Companies
3.2 Results of Interviews
Interview Question 1: What is your Initial Motive for Starting a Start-Up?
Interview Question 2: What Are the Benefits of Entrepreneurship?
Interview Question 3: What Are the Disadvantages of Entrepreneurship?
Interview Question 4: In Relation to Questions 2 and 3, is Entrepreneurship Easier for Men?
Interview Question 5: How Do Society and the Community Perceive a Woman Entrepreneur?
Interview Question 6: What Kind of Support Have you Received?
4 Financial Support
5 State Support
5.1 International Organisations’ Support
5.2 Women’s Networks
6 Conclusions and Recommendations
References
Chapter 10: Female Entrepreneurship in Albania: Financial Incentives and Disincentives
1 Introduction
2 Literature Review
2.1 Barriers to Entreprneurship
2.2 Female Entrepreneurship
2.3 Barriers to Female Entrepreneurship
3 Overview on Albanian Entrepreneurship
3.1 Dynamics of Female Entrepreneurship
4 Data and Methodology
5 Empirical Results
6 Conclusions
References
Chapter 11: Economic Inclusion of Women Entrepreneurs During Covid-19 in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina
1 Introduction
2 COVID-19 Crisis, Gender Gaps and Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Western Balkan Countries
2.1 Serbia
2.2 Montenegro
2.3 Bosnia and Herzegovina
3 Institutional Framework for Women’s Entrepreneurship Development in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina
4 Gender Inclusive Recovery in the Period of COVID-19 Crisis in the Western Balkans
4.1 Gender Aspects of Recovery Measures in Serbia
4.2 Gender Aspects of the Recovery Measures in Montenegro
5 Survey of Women Entrepreneurs in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina
5.1 Methodology
5.2 Results
6 Discussion and Conclusions
References
Part IV: Integrating Returning Migrants
Chapter 12: The Relationship between Migration and Pensions Policy: The Case of Albania
1 Introduction: The Context of Albanian Emigration
2 Albanian Voluntary Social Insurance for Emigrants: The First Phase, 1993–2001
3 The Application of Voluntary Social Insurance in Greece: The Second Phase, 2002–2005
4 Formalisation of the Free Movement of Labour Forces
5 Bilateral Agreements for Emigrant Pensions: The Third Phase, 2006–2020
6 Following the Experience of the EU Coordination of Social Security
7 Conclusion
References
Chapter 13: The Role of Voluntary Return Migration in Supporting Economic Development in Albania
1 Introduction
2 The Debate on Return Migration
3 Strategies and Policies Concerning Return Migration
4 Under the Umbrella of Return Migration, a Diverse Group of Actors
5 Policy Stakeholders’ Perceptions Toward Sustainable Return
6 “I think we should leave again; France maybe…?”
7 Conclusions
References
Chapter 14: Immigrant Entrepreneurship and Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of Croatia
1 Introduction
2 Literature Review: Resilience, Entrepreneurship and COVID-19
3 Methodology
4 Findings and Discussion
4.1 Context and its Implications: As if COVID-19 Pandemic was Not Enough…
4.2 Resilience of the Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Understanding, Activities and Lessons Learned
5 Conclusion
References
Part V: Conclusions
Chapter 15: Towards an Inclusive Model of Development in the Western Balkans
1 Introduction
2 Persistence of Economic Exclusion in the Western Balkans
3 Approaches to Economic Development
3.1 Initial Economic and Political Conditions
3.2 Slow Integration with the European Union
3.3 Economic Strategies
4 Towards a More Inclusive Model of Economic Development in the Western Balkans
4.1 Education Systems and Labour Markets
4.2 Industrial Policy
4.3 Regional Development
4.4 Welfare State Reform
4.5 An Integrated Approach
5 Conclusion
References
Index
