Извештај за распространетост и трендови на скриената економија во Македонија

Author(s): Ana Mickovska-Raleva,Emil Shurkov / Language(s): Macedonian

Blamed for many of the country’s problems, but at the same time under-researched and ineptly understood, the hidden economy phenomenon has, for many years, been insufficiently tackled by Macedonian academic and political elites. During the past few years, a renewed interest in the topic has led towards its more systematic treatment by institutions, but still largely based on approximations, lack of coordination between institutions and under-evaluation of policy measures. This treatment of the problem opens the floor to many speculations regarding the effectiveness of policies and their actual impact on reducing the size of hidden economy. The analysis, prepared by the Center for the Study of Democracy and the Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM), involves a review of existing reports and data on the hidden economy in Macedonia as well as the available international sources. It reviews the current policy initiatives and whether these have been evaluated, as well as any planned future initiatives. The document aims to address some of the key issues through representing cross-section of existing data on the hidden economy in Macedonia and relevant policies, with the intention to review and summarize the knowledge-base on the issue and provide recommendations for better tackling the problem.

Raport i hollësishëm mbi përhapjen dhe tendencat e ekonomisë së fshehur në Maqedoni

Author(s): Ana Mickovska-Raleva,Emil Shurkov / Language(s): Albanian

Blamed for many of the country’s problems, but at the same time under-researched and ineptly understood, the hidden economy phenomenon has, for many years, been insufficiently tackled by Macedonian academic and political elites. During the past few years, a renewed interest in the topic has led towards its more systematic treatment by institutions, but still largely based on approximations, lack of coordination between institutions and under-evaluation of policy measures. This treatment of the problem opens the floor to many speculations regarding the effectiveness of policies and their actual impact on reducing the size of hidden economy. The analysis, prepared by the Center for the Study of Democracy and the Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM), involves a review of existing reports and data on the hidden economy in Macedonia as well as the available international sources. It reviews the current policy initiatives and whether these have been evaluated, as well as any planned future initiatives. The document aims to address some of the key issues through representing cross-section of existing data on the hidden economy in Macedonia and relevant policies, with the intention to review and summarize the knowledge-base on the issue and provide recommendations for better tackling the problem.

Hidden Economy in Macedonia Policy Brief 2: Hit and Miss - The Dynamics of Undeclared Labor in Macedonia

Author(s): Author Not Specified,Center for Research and Policy Making CRPM / Language(s): English

The Center for the Study of Democracy, in collaboration with the Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM) elaborated a series of policy briefs analyzing the hidden economy in Macedonia. The topics encompass the issues of countering undeclared labour, tax evasion and fraud, media reporting on hidden economy and corruption, etc. The current policy brief underlines that undeclared work, being one of the main manifestations of hidden economy, becomes the bull’s-eye for many countries focusing on reshaping their social and economic policies in order to tackle this issue, especially since the onset of the economic crisis that hit Europe and the World in 2008. The most recent economic indicators coming from Europe show that this crisis has not concluded and European economies are yet to deal with its mid and long-term consequences. Macedonia and other Western Balkan countries are not exempt from this process, with job creation and policies targeting unemployment (28.2% as of Q2 2014) being a major concern and a focal point of political activity. Low growth prospects in the EU and sluggish economic conditions forecasted in 2014 are also limiting Macedonia’s growth prospects, which at this point are still positive at around 4% GDP growth annually (4.3% as of Q2 2014). The authors highlight several key points: According to results from the population survey, the proportion of employees with a primary employment receiving ‘envelope’ payments or temporary service contracts in addition to their salary is about one-third of the employed population; Almost 7% of employees work without a contract and are not being paid social security contributions. Combined with the abovementioned fact, this indicates the salary of about 40% of employees with a primary employment is partially or completely undeclared; More than half of employers confirm that signing contracts with ‘hidden clauses’ happens in their sector; Macedonia’s main focus in tackling undeclared work, just as most Eastern European Countries, is on Labor Law violations). Repressive measures and others aimed at improving detection are the dominant policy approach.

Погодоци и промашувања – динамика на непријавената работа во Македонија

Author(s): Author Not Specified,Center for Research and Policy Making CRPM / Language(s): Macedonian

The Center for the Study of Democracy, in collaboration with the Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM) elaborated a series of policy briefs analyzing the hidden economy in Macedonia. The topics encompass the issues of countering undeclared labour, tax evasion and fraud, media reporting on hidden economy and corruption, etc. The current policy brief underlines that undeclared work, being one of the main manifestations of hidden economy, becomes the bull’s-eye for many countries focusing on reshaping their social and economic policies in order to tackle this issue, especially since the onset of the economic crisis that hit Europe and the World in 2008. The most recent economic indicators coming from Europe show that this crisis has not concluded and European economies are yet to deal with its mid and long-term consequences. Macedonia and other Western Balkan countries are not exempt from this process, with job creation and policies targeting unemployment (28.2% as of Q2 2014) being a major concern and a focal point of political activity. Low growth prospects in the EU and sluggish economic conditions forecasted in 2014 are also limiting Macedonia’s growth prospects, which at this point are still positive at around 4% GDP growth annually (4.3% as of Q2 2014). The authors highlight several key points: According to results from the population survey, the proportion of employees with a primary employment receiving ‘envelope’ payments or temporary service contracts in addition to their salary is about one-third of the employed population; Almost 7% of employees work without a contract and are not being paid social security contributions. Combined with the abovementioned fact, this indicates the salary of about 40% of employees with a primary employment is partially or completely undeclared; More than half of employers confirm that signing contracts with ‘hidden clauses’ happens in their sector; Macedonia’s main focus in tackling undeclared work, just as most Eastern European Countries, is on Labor Law violations). Repressive measures and others aimed at improving detection are the dominant policy approach.

Hidden Economy in Macedonia Policy Brief 1: The Economics of Blurs and Shadows – The Hidden Economy in Macedonia

Author(s): Author Not Specified,Center for Research and Policy Making CRPM / Language(s): English

he Center for the Study of Democracy, in collaboration with the Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM) elaborated a series of policy briefs analyzing the hidden economy in Macedonia. The topics encompass the issues of countering undeclared labour, tax evasion and fraud, media reporting on hidden economy and corruption, etc. The current policy brief underlines that undeclared work, being one of the main manifestations of hidden economy, becomes the bull’s-eye for many countries focusing on reshaping their social and economic policies in order to tackle this issue, especially since the onset of the economic crisis that hit Europe and the World in 2008. The most recent economic indicators coming from Europe show that this crisis has not concluded and European economies are yet to deal with its mid and long-term consequences. Macedonia and other Western Balkan countries are not exempt from this process, with job creation and policies targeting unemployment (28.2% as of Q2 2014) being a major concern and a focal point of political activity. Low growth prospects in the EU and sluggish economic conditions forecasted in 2014 are also limiting Macedonia’s growth prospects, which at this point are still positive at around 4% GDP growth annually (4.3% as of Q2 2014). The authors highlight several key points: According to results from the population survey, the proportion of employees with a primary employment receiving ‘envelope’ payments or temporary service contracts in addition to their salary is about one-third of the employed population; Almost 7% of employees work without a contract and are not being paid social security contributions. Combined with the abovementioned fact, this indicates the salary of about 40% of employees with a primary employment is partially or completely undeclared; More than half of employers confirm that signing contracts with ‘hidden clauses’ happens in their sector; Macedonia’s main focus in tackling undeclared work, just as most Eastern European Countries, is on Labor Law violations). Repressive measures and others aimed at improving detection are the dominant policy approach.

Економија на маглини и сенки – скриената економија во Maкедонија

Author(s): Author Not Specified,Center for Research and Policy Making CRPM / Language(s): Macedonian

he Center for the Study of Democracy, in collaboration with the Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM) elaborated a series of policy briefs analyzing the hidden economy in Macedonia. The topics encompass the issues of countering undeclared labour, tax evasion and fraud, media reporting on hidden economy and corruption, etc. The current policy brief underlines that undeclared work, being one of the main manifestations of hidden economy, becomes the bull’s-eye for many countries focusing on reshaping their social and economic policies in order to tackle this issue, especially since the onset of the economic crisis that hit Europe and the World in 2008. The most recent economic indicators coming from Europe show that this crisis has not concluded and European economies are yet to deal with its mid and long-term consequences. Macedonia and other Western Balkan countries are not exempt from this process, with job creation and policies targeting unemployment (28.2% as of Q2 2014) being a major concern and a focal point of political activity. Low growth prospects in the EU and sluggish economic conditions forecasted in 2014 are also limiting Macedonia’s growth prospects, which at this point are still positive at around 4% GDP growth annually (4.3% as of Q2 2014). The authors highlight several key points: According to results from the population survey, the proportion of employees with a primary employment receiving ‘envelope’ payments or temporary service contracts in addition to their salary is about one-third of the employed population; Almost 7% of employees work without a contract and are not being paid social security contributions. Combined with the abovementioned fact, this indicates the salary of about 40% of employees with a primary employment is partially or completely undeclared; More than half of employers confirm that signing contracts with ‘hidden clauses’ happens in their sector; Macedonia’s main focus in tackling undeclared work, just as most Eastern European Countries, is on Labor Law violations). Repressive measures and others aimed at improving detection are the dominant policy approach.

GREY Working Paper No. 4: Policy Approaches Towards Undeclared Work, a Conceptual Framework

Author(s): Colin C. Williams / Language(s): English

This working paper is an output of the European Commission’s FP7 "Marie Curie Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways" (IAPP) project entitled "GREY - Out of the shadows: developing capacities and capabilities for tackling undeclared work in Bulgaria, Croatia and FYR Macedonia". The aim of the paper is to provide a conceptual framework for understanding the policy approaches for tackling undeclared work. In doing so, the intention is to provide the structure for a future comprehensive review of the policy measures available for tackling undeclared work.

Плоският данък: Икономически и социални ефекти

Author(s): Konstantin Pashev / Language(s): English

These however do not necessarily call for the flat rate tax of the design experimented in several of the new market economies. The study argues as well that vertical flattening in itself tends to redistribute the tax burden towards the mid-income groups. Furthermore it cautions that the expectations that the flat income tax will limit tax evasion might be overly optimistic. The paper suggests alternative supply side tax incentives.

Corporate Governance Assessment Report: 2000

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

The present report has the objective to provide an overview of the general framework and particular dimensions of the corporate governance in Bulgaria. It is published for the first time and the authors intend to continue its publication on an annual basis. In its present form, the study contains information thus far unavailable to the professional community and the media. The evaluations and analyses herein are the first attempt to outline the achievements and the problems in the field of corporate governance in Bulgaria in the years of transition. The authors of the report thus aim to encourage a wider discussion on the subject and that, as a result, practical improvement action will be undertaken.

Matky samoživitelky a jejich situace v České republice.„Sandwichová generace“ – kombinování práce a péče o závislé členy rodiny (děti a seniory)

Author(s): Jaroslava Hasmanová Marhánková / Language(s): Czech

Na křižovatce pracovního a osobního života: možnosti a bariéry

Author(s): Nina Bosničová,Jitka Kolářová,Irena Lištiaková,Steven Saxonberg,Silvie Malíková / Language(s): Czech

Podpora kariérního růstu žen: manuál pro zaměstnavatele

Author(s): Petra Kubálková / Language(s): Czech

Rovné příležitosti mezi zaměstnanci: kvantitativní výzkum

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Czech

Rovné příležitosti mužů a žen v českých firmách

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Czech

Situace osob ve věku 45+ na trhu práce

Author(s): Jaroslava Hasmanová Marhánková / Language(s): Czech

Slaďování práce a rodiny: možnosti a perspektivy pro zaměstnavatele

Author(s): Kateřina Machovcová / Language(s): Czech

Výnosnost důchodového systému a dopady jeho reforem na muže a ženy

Author(s): Jiří Šatava / Language(s): Czech

Na základě reprezentativní databáze 7000 mužů a žen počítáme výnosnost penzijního systému u mužů a žen a její změny v důsledku „malé“ a „velké“ reformy. Výnosnost měříme pomocí ukazatele penzijního bohatství jako rozdíl mezi současnou hodnotou budoucích důchodů a budoucích příspěvků do penzijního systému. Výnosnost se u jednotlivců liší dle pohlaví, věku, velikosti příjmu a dalších faktorů. Před reformami byl penzijní systém výrazně výhodnější pro ženy. I ve věkové kategorii 53letých penzijní systém sliboval ženám o 503 000 Kč více než mužům, u 21letých to pak bylo dokonce 1 152 000 Kč. Tzv. „malá“ reforma, která upravila věk odchodu do důchodu, výrazně snížila výnosnost penzijního systému pro muže i ženy, citelněji ale dopadá na ženy. Tzv. „velká“ reforma, jež umožňuje vyvedení části pojistného do penzijních fondů, má řádově menší, zato však pozitivní nebo nulový dopad na výhodnost penzijního systému pro muže a ženy. Obě reformy jsou výhodnější pro muže, i po všech reformách zůstává penzijní systém stále výnosnější pro ženy. Ve věkové kategorii 45letých penzijní systém slibuje ženám o 499 000 Kč více než mužům, pro 21leté to je 978 000 Kč. Studie rovně ž prezentuje dopady reforem i pro různé úrovně příjmů.

Career - Family - Equal Opportunities

Author(s): Věra Kuchařová,Štěpán Jurajda,Daniel Münich,Kateřina Machovcová,Sylva Ettlerová,Olga Nešporová,Kamila Svobodová,Kateřina Machovcová / Language(s): English

Dear reader, The following pages provide the results of various studies concerning the position of women and men in the Czech labour market. The analyses were carried out as a part of the EU Equal project “Fifty - fifty: Equal Opportunities for Women and Men” coordinated by Gender Studies, o.p.s, and co-financed by the EU European Social Fund and the Czech Republic state budget. Each study focuses on a topic that had received very modest coverage in earlier research or had not been explored at all. The first paper is a summary of qualitative and quantitative studies carried out by the Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs team headed by Věra Kuchařová. The team’s objective was to find out the possibilities parents have in juggling childcare and work responsibilities and the potential constraints or sources of discrimination that can make the parents’ situation difficult. They looked at the issue from both the mothers’ perspective and that of the employers. The main focus was on finding out to what extent the parents draw their sick child leave and claim their maternity/parental leave entitlement, which are the basic measures enabling parents to balance their personal and professional lives. One of the main findings is the fact that the facilities allowing people to balance their personal and professional lives are used much less in the Czech Republic than in the vast majority of western countries. In the Czech Republic, the range of the flexible work arrangement possibilities used is narrower and can usually be summed up in three options: reduced working hours, part-time work and flexible working hours. However, they are usually not offered systematically, they do not fall within internal company guidelines and are used solely on an individual agreement basis. In the Czech Republic, it is still mostly women who take parental leave to provide care for children and ensure other forms of full-time childcare. It is rather exceptional to see a father on parental leave, with men representing about 1% of all persons drawing the parental benefit. The reason can be financial (as men have statistically higher salaries), but it can also lie in the unsupportive attitude on the part of the employers who expect that the working hours arrangement facilities should be primarily used by women. [...]

Maternity Leave, or Parental Time? Seven Czech Mothers on Their Experience with Working and Raising Children in Different EU Countries

Author(s): Kateřina Jonášová,Pavla Frýdlová,Lucie Svobodová,Mirka Bendix-Beranová,Barbora Šindelářová,Viola Parente-Čapková,Zuzana Jürgensová,Zuzana Loubet del Bayle,Hana Schenk / Language(s): English

How to harmonise family and work? How to build a career without losing the chance of a family? In the Czech Republic this dilemma is more poignant than in other EU countries. Its model, where a woman’ s right to a long maternity leave is not supplemented by her right to preschool childcare or to an alternative work arrangement, is outdated in the European context. The lack of preschool facilities prevents thousands of women from returning to work and fathers from participating more in care. Seven Czech mothers with long-term experience from other EU countries, namely Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway and Sweden, shared stories about their encounters with different types of preschool facilities, with returning back to work and with various patterns of maternity and parental leave, which in those countries is not considered vacation, rather a time designated to both parents. For most women in the Czech Republic becoming a mother means entering a vicious circle. The time a Czech woman spends at home with her child is the longest of all countries in Europe. And it is unique even worldwide. Statistics show that most Czech mothers of one child stay at home for three years, which has a very deep impact on both their professional and personal lives (let alone the alternative where two children in a row keep the woman at home for up to eight years). [...]

Kariéra – rodina – rovné příležitosti: Výzkumy postavení žen a mužů na trhu práce

Author(s): Štěpán Jurajda,Věra Kuchařová,Kateřina Machovcová,Sylva Ettlerová,Olga Nešporová,Kamila Svobodová,Daniel Münich,Kateřina Machovcová / Language(s): Czech