WEB engleska verzija end.indd - UNDP Croatia

THE SOCIALLY EXCLUDEDCHAPTER 3search (income maintenance), as well as skill maintenanceand development (training programmes andother actionable policies). With the expansion of fluidemployment and an increasingly liberal economy, therisk of unemployment has become a common concern.To counter this risk, unemployment insurancelevels should be augmented to reflect the level specifiedby employment legislation, and the duration ofbenefits should be modified to prevent inactivity andskill fade. However, this would mean either increasingspending or a redistribution of payroll contributions(currently unemployment insurance figures at amodest 1.8% of payroll), which could eliminate somelow-paying jobs.Active measures should target the long-term unemployed,with the goal of increasing their employability.Being that the long-term unemployed are a heterogeneouspopulation which is challenged in severalareas, precise targeting and empirical evaluation isnecessary to determine the most effective combinationof programmes. Such a mix could include educationand training (both on- and off-workplace) whichhave a key role in increasing employability (bothon the personal and societal level), but also community-basedinitiatives (such as public works), andsubsidized employment can have positive effects oncertain groups of the unemployed. IT training mightalso be integrated into the programming mix, in anattempt to bridge the digital divide.Policy-makers need to keep in mind current employmentpractices. Fixed-term employment is becomingcommonplace and comprises 85.6% of CES registeredemployment. With current labour market practices,this situation leads to a two-tiered segregation of labourinto a protected, core workforce on one side anda growing number of unprotected temporary workerson the other. In the interest of social cohesion, itmight be best to harmonize the level of employmentprotection for both temporary and permanent workers,by increasing the level of unemployment protection(particularly in active labour market measuresprovision and replacement rate) while relaxing theemployment protection system.3.8 YouthBox 12: Personal ExperienceS.T. (27) majored in ecology at the BiologyDepartment at the Faculty of Natural Sciencesand Mathematics in Zagreb. During her freetime, she was an activist and a member ofseveral non-governmental organisations concernedwith youth culture. She graduated in2005, with a 4.0 GPA, and has been trying to finda job in her profession ever since, but has beenunsuccessful. She has tried many places, appliedfor many job openings, and has even had a fewinterviews, but has still been unsuccessful. Overthe past year, she has been working part-timejobs unrelated to her profession in order to payfor the basic necessities of life. She still lives withher parents and a brother. Although she wouldlike to become independent and start living onher own or with her partner, she cannot do that,because she cannot find a job. Part-time jobs arenot a stable enough source of income to rely onwhen renting an apartment. S.T. is active in herjob search, she has taken additional educationand she keeps track of job openings and appliesfor them, but she is quite certain that she will notget a job without a “connection”. She currentlyworks in a beauty salon, illegally, and continuesto look for a job in her profession.3.8.1 Human RightsAccording to the National Programme of Action forYouth of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, 107the youth demographic (those aged 15-29) accountfor one-fifth of the total population of Croatia. 108 Thisgroup includes young citizens that are also membersof other vulnerable groups, such as the unemployed,or people with disability. Although the youth demographicpresents a diverse group, many social issuesare common to all youth.107 National Programme of Action for Youth, Adinda Dulčić (ed.), State Institute for the Protection of the Family, Maternity and Youth,Zagreb, 2003.108 According to the 2001 census.83