| dc.description.abstract | Thematic relevance. Relations of market economy, which have charnged relations of planned economy in Lithuania, had ambiguous influence for youth position in the labour market. On one hand, sudden economical changes impelled some young people to end their studies early (accordingly, at lower education level) and enter the labour market (often illegal). On the other hand, new relations of the market determined a new social phenomenon – unemployment, which has been unknown for previous generations at the beginning of their working career. There is seeking to increase youth employment by various measures in Lithuania, as well as in other European countries. There is stressed that youth unemployment is relevant the world over. Depending on data of the first quarter of 2006, youth unemployment was 18.1 % in the European Union; it is more than twice higher than total unemployment. In total numbers, 4.7 millions of young people (15–24 years old) are striving for employment. Actually, not small part of these young people stays “outside of the labour market”, and it is a huge waste of potential and risk for social cohesion. It was emphasised that the problem of youth employment is acknowledged on the highest political level in the European Union: in 2006 European Council has confirmed it as the main priority of labour market policy in the strategy of economical growth and establishment of work places. Youth unemployment rate is about twice higher than total unemployment rate in Lithuania, as well as in most world countries. Although youth unemployment is decreasing in Lithuania at the moment, it remains quite high yet. Redistribution of labour force between diverse economical activities in the progress of state’s economy, significant regional differentiation in the labour market, implantation of modern technologies, expansion of foreign investments and social and economical changes in the state determine cardinal changes in the structure of youth employment; qualitative and quantitative characteristics of labour resources, employers’ requirements for labour force, and etc are changing. Analysing the problem of Lithuanian youth unemployment in this work there was ascertained that a part of young people was not able to enter labour market because of low qualification and poor work experience. It is said that specialists, prepared by various academic institutes, have theoretic mental outfit, however, they are lacking in practical skills. On the other hand, the reasons of youth unemployment, related to attraction of the offered job (low wages, poor working conditions), increasingly are coming out because of lack in qualified labour force. Therefore, more and more young people are moving to the West in the hope to get legal or illegal job. Because of mentioned changes in the labour market ingenerated GDP is evaluated as economical loss. There is emphasised as well that it is specifically difficult to estimate the loss, while the coherence between economical growth and labour market is not set in. There has been formed such a situation in Lithuanian labour market that the reduction of youth unemployment has not increased employment of this age bracket or this increase was very insignificant. Therefore, it is reasonably proposed that the change of unemployment rate shows up the state of the labour market only partly. There is expressed the integrated attitude towards the assessment of economical loss, and framed the calculation methodology, which includes two different components of youth position in the labour market – employment and unemployment. It enables to study the analysed problem thoroughly. In the context of progressive integration of the state’s economy into the economical and social structures of the European Union, with the intention of vouching for more rational development of human resources the exhaustive research of youth position in the labour market assumes idiosyncratic importance in order to reveal the reasons of formation of this problematic submarket, determine the specific factors, influencing youth unemployment, and offer measures for the solution of analysed problem. Research aim – complex analysis of youth position in the state’s labour market, assessment of social economical consequences of unemployment of this age bracket labour resources, including economical loss, and offering suggestions for increasing youth employment. Scientific novelty and practical results of the study 1. First of all, scientific novelty is defined by the originality of research methodology and data sources – there was accomplished the systematic analysis of youth unemployment problems (as the whole) in Lithuania by using the results of special studies and researches, which the author participated proximately in. 2. After the analysis of labour market questions in scientific economic literature of Lithuania and other countries in debatable way: – the concept of labour resources was specified; – the criterions of distinguishing youth as the part of labour resources and their place in the labour market structure were based; – theoretical analysis of youth unemployment was accomplished by basing the reasons of youth as problematical group formation and revealing the influencing factors of youth unemployment and activity in the labour market. 3. The problems of methodological and methodical assessment of youth position in the labour market were studied and reasoned, and according to it there was accomplished the systematic analysis of youth position in the state’s labour market (by using the original system of indices, based by the author). 4. According to the original assessment methodology of economical loss, which is met by the economy because of irregular change of youth employment and unemployment, there were evaluated economical consequences of youth unemployment of the state and its influence for social economical development. 5. Social consequences of youth unemployment in Lithuania were assessed. 6. There were based trends of improving youth situation in the state’s labour market and its implementation measures, which make the preconditions for development of effective scientifically based social policy. 7. Being no other analogous researches, conclusions and recommendations of this work are important because of its novelty, and it was represented not only in an academic sphere, but also in the institutions of the state governance. The results of research, accomplished by the author, are the basis of the part 4.2.1 “Improving employability skills for youth, starting working activity” of Employment Increase Programme 2001–2004 of the Republic of Lithuania. On the basis of accomplished research there were prepared suggestions for macro economy and fiscal policy questions for the Government, and there is being prepared “The strategy of youth possibilities development” and its implementation plan, which will be implemented during the period of 2006–2008. During the period of 1997–2006 the author has participated in various working groups of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, Lithuanian Labour Exchange, Lithuanian Labour Market Training Authority solving youth unemployment and other questions of labour market policy, took part in preparation of National Lisbon strategy implementation programme (overall the author has participated in more than 50 ordered researches, which most results were used in the dissertation). Suggestion of the author – “solve the questions of labour relations’ legitimating during the practise and students’ insurance in case of an accident” – was implemented in the law of the change of the State social insurance law, Social insurance law of accidents at work and industrial diseases of the Republic of Lithuania (inured from January 1, 2006); the suggestion – “employability skills maintenance for people starting working activity according to speciality in order to provide with missing working skills in work place…” – was implemented in the law of employment maintenance of the Republic of Lithuania (inured from August 1, 2006). | lit |
