Labor market, education, health and social protection – Croatia and EU

Commissioned by:  The Institute of Economics, Zagreb 
Project duration: October 1, 2019 - December 31, 2023
Project manager: Danijel Nestić (Iva Tomić until April 1, 2020)
Collaborators: Ivica Rubil, Paul Stubbs, Valerija Botrić, Tibor Kovač, Marko Ledić (since August 1, 2023), Ivan Žilić (until November 27, 2022), Vedran Recher (until April 19, 2023) 

Summary: 
The main objective of the project was to identify new trends in the labor market in Croatia—including the potential structural causes of the observed situation—but also in the related education and health systems, as well as in the overall system of social protection. The lessons learned during the project for Croatia were put in the comparative context of the EU development and the convergence of new member states towards the levels of development of the old EU members. In addition, the project also offered constructive proposals for economic and social policy makers.
Particular focus was placed on the following areas of research: (i) labor market; (ii) health, education and social protection; and (iii) economic systems and political economy.
Modern statistical-econometric methods of data analysis, as well as qualitative analysis techniques, were used in meeting the project objectives, giving not only an economic but also a sociological view of the analyzed processes.
 

RESEARCH AREAS: Labor market and competencies; Inequality, poverty and social policy