Aktywacja regionalnych i lokalnych rynków pracy

The author discusses problems related to the stimulation of regional and local labor markets on the basis of research conducted in 2007-2008. The research included both qualitative and quantitative methods. The analyses covered Central Statistical Office (GUS) data and labor market reports as well as opinions collected through individual in-depth interviews with employment agency officials and employers in six selected provinces with varying unemployment rates. In recent years, authorities have launched various programs to spur regional and local labor markets, the author says, but some of these programs are poorly adapted to what is happening on the market due to a lack of in-depth knowledge about these developments. According to Słomińska, the most promising programs involve financial assistance for business start-ups and funds for equipping workstations for newly hired unemployed persons. More attention is also being paid to the quality and proper selection of training and retraining programs, Słomińska says, especially those aimed at jobless individuals who need to adapt to the needs of their local labor market. Two groups of activities seem to be particularly important in the process of stimulating labor markets, Słomińska concludes, elimination of barriers to a rise in employment and efforts to more flexibly adapt the education system to changing demand for labor.