- Introduction
- The Inactivity Problem: A Snapshot
- Systemic Influences: Big Pharma, Big Tobacco, and Big Oil
- Breaking the Cycle: Solutions for a Sustainable Future
- Conclusion
According to the 2021 Census data released by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, the educational attainment of Croatia's population aged 15 and over is as follows:
- Elementary education or less: 20.4%
- Secondary education: 55.5%
- Higher education: 24.1%
These figures indicate a significant improvement over the past decades. In 1961, over 85% of the population had only elementary education or less, while just 12.6% had completed secondary education, and a mere 1.8% had higher education. By 2021, the share of the population with higher education had risen to 24.1%, reflecting a continuous increase in educational attainment.
Regionally, the City of Zagreb leads with 39.1% of its population having completed higher education, followed by Primorje-Gorski Kotar County at 28.1% and Dubrovnik-Neretva County at 26.8%. In contrast, Virovitica-Podravina County has the lowest share at 13.1%, with Bjelovar-Bilogora County at 14.5% and Brod-Posavina County at 14.9%.
Additionally, Croatia ranks among the top in the European Union for the percentage of young people aged 20–24 who have attained at least upper secondary education. In 2021, all four Croatian regions reported very high shares, placing the country alongside Ireland and Greece in this regard.
These trends highlight Croatia's ongoing progress in enhancing educational attainment across its population.
In 2023, the employment rate for recent higher education graduates (aged 20-34) was 84.4%, which is below the EU average of 87.7% but represents a 3.7 percentage point increase from 2022.
The labor force participation rate also varies with educational attainment. In 2023, individuals with higher education comprised 32.8% of the labor force, while those with only elementary education or less accounted for 5.2%. Notably, the share of individuals with vocational school education was the largest, at 58.6%.
These statistics underscore the positive correlation between higher educational attainment and improved employment opportunities in Croatia.
Vocational school education is considered a form of secondary education. Secondary education typically includes general secondary schools (such as grammar schools or "gymnasiums") and vocational schools. In Croatia, vocational schools prepare students for specific trades or professions and are a key part of the secondary education system.
The main types of secondary education in Croatia are:
- Gymnasium (General Secondary Education): Focused on preparing students for higher education with a broad curriculum.
- Vocational Schools: Offering specialized training for various trades and professions, such as technical, medical, or arts-focused programs. These can vary in length, typically lasting 3-4 years.
Both types of education provide students with qualifications for further studies or entry into the labor market, with vocational education directly linked to specific occupational skills.
The system where vocational school students alternate between theoretical learning in schools and practical experience in business entities is often referred to as the dual education system. It is a structured approach used in several countries, including Croatia, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. While the intention is to equip students with job-ready skills and real-world experience, the system must ensure that the line between practical education and child labor is not blurred. Here’s my perspective:
Positive Aspects:
- Skill Development: Hands-on experience allows students to gain practical knowledge and develop job-specific skills that may be harder to acquire in a purely academic setting.
- Employment Readiness: Students are better prepared for the workforce, often leading to higher employability rates after graduation.
- Industry Engagement: Businesses can shape students' skills to match real-world demands, creating a smoother transition from school to work.
- Economic Benefits: It reduces skill mismatches, which benefits both students and employers, contributing to a stronger economy.
Risks and Concerns:
- Exploitation Potential: If businesses treat students as a cheap labor source rather than providing genuine educational experiences, it becomes exploitative. This is especially problematic if students perform tasks unrelated to their field of study or without adequate supervision.
- Workplace Safety: Students are often minors and may lack the training or maturity to navigate workplace hazards safely, increasing the risk of accidents.
- Balance of Responsibilities: The dual system should ensure that students' primary focus remains on education, not excessive workplace obligations.
- Fair Compensation: While the system involves learning through practice, students should receive fair compensation or benefits for their contributions to the business.
Recommendations for Ethical Implementation:
- Strict Regulations: Governments should enforce laws to prevent businesses from exploiting students and ensure that their work aligns with educational goals.
- Monitoring and Accountability: Schools and regulatory bodies should frequently assess the quality of training provided by businesses to ensure compliance.
- Workload Management: Practical work hours should be limited to ensure students have enough time and energy for academic learning and personal development.
- Incorporate Feedback: Students should have a platform to report issues or concerns related to their practical training.
When well-regulated, such programs can be highly beneficial for students, businesses, and society. However, unchecked practices risk undermining the system's educational purpose and exploiting young individuals.
The high rate of inactivity among the working-age population in Croatia, specifically those aged 20 to 64, reflects a significant socio-economic challenge. Inactivity refers to individuals who are neither employed nor actively seeking work and, therefore, are not included in labor force statistics. This group represents a considerable portion of the population, often referred to as being "erased from the system" and outside the labor market.
Possible Reasons for Inactivity:
- Education and Training: Younger individuals may still be pursuing their education or undergoing vocational training.
- Care Responsibilities: Many, especially women, might be engaged in unpaid caregiving for children, elderly family members, or others.
- Health Issues: Chronic illnesses or disabilities can limit participation in the labor market.
- Discouragement: Long-term unemployment often leads to discouragement, resulting in people stopping their job search altogether.
- Migration: Emigration, particularly among younger Croatians, contributes to the perception of inactivity as these individuals leave the domestic labor force.
- Informal Economy: Some may work informally, thus not appearing in official labor market data.
- Early Retirement: Croatia’s policies enabling early retirement further increase inactivity among older adults in this age group.
Impacts of Inactivity:
- Economic Growth: A smaller active workforce limits productivity and economic expansion.
- Social Exclusion: Inactivity often correlates with poverty, social exclusion, and reduced access to essential services.
- Demographic Pressure: An aging population combined with a high rate of inactivity in the working-age group intensifies the strain on the economy.
- Fiscal Challenges: Inactive individuals rely more on social assistance while contributing less to tax revenues, creating pressure on public finances.
Addressing Inactivity:
- Labor Market Policies: Implementing retraining and upskilling programs that align with labor market needs.
- Support for Caregivers: Enhancing access to affordable childcare and eldercare services to encourage workforce participation.
- Encouraging Formal Work: Incentivizing transitions from the informal to the formal economy through tax breaks and legal reforms.
- Flexible Work Options: Promoting part-time and remote work to accommodate caregivers and those with health issues.
- Reintegration Efforts: Targeted initiatives to re-engage discouraged workers, such as counseling and financial incentives.
By implementing inclusive policies and initiatives, Croatia can tap into the potential of this inactive population, contributing to economic growth and reducing the socio-economic divide.
Addressing the problem of inactivity among the working-age population in Croatia—or globally—is a multifaceted challenge that involves systemic change across multiple sectors. Tackling the influence of industries like Big Pharma, Big Tobacco, and Big Oil, along with transitioning away from fossil fuels, can indirectly contribute to solving this issue by creating healthier societies, sustainable economies, and more inclusive labor markets. Here’s how:
1. Big Pharma and Public Health
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Current Issues:
- High healthcare costs and a focus on profit over public health can limit access to essential services, leaving many individuals unable to work due to untreated health issues.
- Overprescription of medications, particularly opioids, contributes to health problems that reduce workforce participation.
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Solutions:
- Strengthen public healthcare systems to ensure affordable, accessible care for all, reducing health-related inactivity.
- Promote preventive healthcare and mental health initiatives, enabling individuals to remain active in the labor force.
2. Big Tobacco and Healthier Populations
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Current Issues:
- Smoking-related illnesses contribute to early morbidity and reduced labor force participation.
- Marketing by Big Tobacco often targets vulnerable populations, perpetuating health inequities.
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Solutions:
- Implement stricter regulations on tobacco products and redirect taxes from these products to fund public health campaigns.
- Support smoking cessation programs to improve health outcomes and workforce engagement.
3. Big Oil and the Transition to Renewable Energy
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Current Issues:
- Reliance on fossil fuels contributes to climate change, which disrupts economies, exacerbates health issues, and affects jobs (e.g., in agriculture).
- Fossil fuel industries often prioritize automation or outsourcing, reducing local job opportunities.
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Solutions:
- Invest in renewable energy sectors, which tend to create more jobs per dollar spent compared to fossil fuels.
- Develop green jobs programs to reskill workers from fossil fuel-dependent industries, integrating them into the labor market.
4. Breaking Up with Fossil Fuels
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Current Issues:
- Fossil fuel dependency sustains environmentally damaging practices that undermine public health and economic stability.
- Extreme weather events linked to climate change disproportionately affect the poorest and most vulnerable workers.
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Solutions:
- Foster a just transition to renewable energy, ensuring affected workers receive retraining and support.
- Support green infrastructure projects, which can create employment opportunities while addressing climate goals.
How These Changes Solve Inactivity:
- Healthier Workforce: Public health improvements and reduced exposure to harmful substances enable more people to remain active in the workforce.
- Job Creation: Transitioning to sustainable energy and breaking up monopolistic industries open new avenues for employment.
- Economic Diversification: Reducing reliance on extractive or harmful industries helps create a resilient economy with diverse job opportunities.
- Social Equity: Investments in healthcare, education, and green jobs address systemic inequalities, empowering marginalized groups to participate in the labor market.
- Long-Term Sustainability: A shift to renewable energy and sustainable practices ensures a stable environment for future workforce growth.
These systemic changes require political will, public advocacy, and international cooperation but hold the potential to address the root causes of inactivity while building healthier, fairer, and more sustainable societies.
Acknowledgment: This blog post was developed with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model created by OpenAI. The insights provided were based on data and discussions facilitated by this tool.