Held Conference: "Workforce as a Challenge of Contemporary Society"
04.11.2022.
The return of business optimism and the increase in the number of orders for products and services was an opportunity that companies did not miss in 2021, after overcoming the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The beginning of the recovery from covid was disrupted by the crisis due to the war in Ukraine. The conflict that has been going on since February has affected the operations of many economic entities, and these companies are now aware of where they must invest efforts and find opportunities to maintain their operations.
Now the region is facing new negative shocks, energy prices, food prices, inflation, and in addition to all of the above, BiH has been facing the departure of the able-bodied population for a long time and a labor shortage, which is constantly increasing.
The lack of labor force is present in all sectors of the economy, and mostly in industrial and service activities. More and more people are completing higher education and the pool of those qualified for professional occupations is shrinking. A greater supply of employment, for quality labor that migrates to areas where not only salaries but also social benefits are higher, is the reason for the active growth trend of the outflow of the working-age population from BiH. The population of Bosnia and Herzegovina is decreasing and aging due to both the low fertility rate and the strong emigration of the BiH population.
According to official information, in August 2022, a total unemployment of 289,905 was registered in the records of the cantonal employment services, with the largest percentage share of KV and NKV unemployed workers, while according to the age structure, 29% of unemployed persons are between the ages of 35 and 45. .
In what way is it possible to introduce at least 10% of those workers into the employment system and what needs to be done to get an adequate worker from an unemployed person without the required skills, whether the import of labor, the abolition of quotas for the employment of foreign persons are solutions to some of the issues was discussed at the “Workforce as a Challenge of Contemporary Society” Conference, which was held in Sarajevo in the organization of the Sector for Industry and Services of the PKFBiH.
The conference was attended by a large number of representatives of companies from the metal and electrical industry, as a sector that recorded an increase in employment, and the textile industry, in which a decrease in employment was recorded.
The goal of the Conference was to reach high-quality conclusions and proposals for solving the problem of labor shortage with the participants based on the panel discussion. The workforce is one of the important factors for the economic development of BiH and the sustainable business of companies, and it is necessary to create such an environment that will enable the smooth implementation of new business opportunities, but also the retention of existing ones.
The panelists were Mirsad Jašarspahić, president of P/G K FBiH, Ernis Imamović, Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, Omer Korjenić, Federal Employment Agency, Semir Kantić, president of the Association of Businessmen Biznis Centar Jelah-Tešanj, Marija Vuković, Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro and Mijo Ćosić, Ćosić Promex d.o.o. Usora.
For the realization of these activities, the synergistic action of all key actors is necessary: governing structures at all levels, ministries, institutes and employment agencies, the educational system and businessmen who together can influence the improvement of business conditions and environment.
In the coming period, the FBiH Chamber of Commerce will submit an initiative to the Government of the Federation of BiH and competent institutions with the proposals presented by BiH companies.
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