Policy Seminar: Jobs and Socio-Economic Inclusion: The Case of the Roma in Eastern Europe

Time: 13.00-14.00 hours
Location: CPB-office, Van Stolkweg 14, The Hague

Presentation: Barbara Kits (Min. SZW)

Discussant: Iryna Rud (CPB)

Language: English

Registration: Please register by sending an email to seminars@cpb.nl.

Abstract subject:
In the academic literature, jobs are often linked to socio-economic inclusion in a variety of ways: they allow individuals to access financial resources, to better cope with economic shocks, to build up networks, and to increase their level of life satisfaction. However, these relationships do not hold everywhere, or for everyone: certain groups do not benefit from the jobs on offer in a national economy, and not all jobs provide the same benefits in terms of socio-economic inclusion. The case of the Roma illustrates that many barriers can obstruct the positive feedback loop that is established in the literature. For many Roma, finding work is difficult, and even when Roma do find work, they often face discrimination, get lower wages than their non-Roma counterparts, face social stigma from their own community or from society in general, and continue to be confronted with financial uncertainty. Recent evidence collected by the European Commission, UNDP and the World Bank allows researchers and policy advisors to disentangle the underlying mechanisms. Additional qualitative research has identified good practices, and has enriched the available quantitative data. As a result, there is now room to set priorities based on rigorous evidence, and to let stakeholders discuss and debate about the numbers, and their meaning. For the Netherlands, the case of the Roma can serve as a relevant example of maneuvering between political tensions, and establishing evidence-based policy guidelines.

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