The problems and perspectives of the labour market development in Serbia on national and regional level

Abstract

The paper deals with the analysis of inter-regional differences in unemployment rates, including an assessment of changes in local labour markets in the 2010s. Comparison of statistics related to the labour market development exclusively at the national level does not allow a complete overview of the employment problems. Based on the available data of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, we have compiled three maps that give a visual representation of the unemployment in municipalities in Serbia. The first map demonstates the share of the unemployed in the total population of municipalities at the beginning of 2018 (taking into account the qualification structure of the unemployed population). The second map reveals the dynamics of unemployment rates in municipalities (value ratio for 2018 and 2010). Finally, the third map reflects the authors' vision of regionalization of the unemployment phenomenon in Serbia, expressed in identifying spatial configurations that differ in labour market characteristics. The regionalization of the phenomenon of unemployment in Serbia has enabled the identification of the most and least successful territories in terms of maintaining stability in the labour market. In addition, we highlighted the existing problems of the labour market, emphasized the importance of implementation of employment policies and inclusion in this process of all societal structures, starting with the state, local authorities, private and public sectors in order to achieve sustainable economic growth.