Are Skills Constraining Growth in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

The shortage of skills sought by key export-oriented and import competing industries in Bosnia and Herzegovina (henceforth, 'BH') is substantial and if left unaddressed, threatens to constrain future economic growth of the country. Prior to the onset of the global economic crisis, BH enjoyed strong rates of economic growth based to a significant degree on the growth of exports. On average, exports grew at an impressive 34 percent per year between 1995 and 2008. Our analysis however confirms that the growth of exporting, as well as import-competing industries is increasingly becoming constrained by the shortage of skills in the labor force. In this report we seek to identify these shortages and their likely causes and recommend reforms and policies which can prevent the plummeting of economic growth due to lack of adequate skills. Firm-level evidence confirms that the shortage of qualified workers is becoming a serious obstacle to growth of BH exporting companies. This report investigates what types of skills firms are looking for and are not finding in the marketplace. The policy recommendation section of this study seeks to provide ideas and direction for the BH government to address these labor market challenges.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	World Bank
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank 2009-12-01
Subjects:	ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS, ACADEMIC YEAR, ACCREDITATION, ACTIVE EMPLOYMENT, ACTIVE EMPLOYMENT POLICIES, ACTIVE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS, ACTIVE LABOR, ACTIVE LABOR MARKET, ACTIVE LABOR MARKET POLICIES, ACTIVE LABOR MARKET POLICY, ADULT EDUCATION, ADULT TRAINING, AGE GROUP, AGE GROUPS, AVERAGE EDUCATION LEVEL, AVERAGE WAGES, BASIC EDUCATION, BASIC SKILLS, BRAIN DRAIN, CAREER, CAREER COUNSELING, CAREER DEVELOPMENT, CAREER GUIDANCE, CERTIFICATION PROCESSES, COMPUTER TRAINING, CONSUMER PRICE INDEX, CONTINUING EDUCATION, CURRICULA, CURRICULUM, DEGREES, DIASPORA, DIPLOMAS, DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS, DISCIPLINES, DOCTORAL DEGREES, DOMESTIC MARKET, DRIVERS, EARLY RETIREMENT, ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN, EDUCATED CITIZENS, EDUCATED WORKFORCE, EDUCATION BUDGET, EDUCATION MINISTRIES, EDUCATION OUTCOMES, EDUCATION SYSTEMS, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATIONAL LEVEL, EDUCATORS, EMPLOYEE, EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS, EMPLOYMENT, EMPLOYMENT GROWTH, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, EMPLOYMENT SERVICE, ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITIES, EXPENDITURES, EXPORT-ORIENTED INDUSTRIES, FACULTIES, FINDING EMPLOYMENT, FINDING WORK, FIRM SURVEY, FIRM SURVEYS, FOREIGN LANGUAGES, FORMAL EMPLOYEE TRAINING, FURTHER EDUCATION, GENERAL SECONDARY EDUCATION, GLOBAL MARKETS, GROSS WAGE, GROSS WAGES, HEALTH INSURANCE, HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT, HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, HIGHER EDUCATION, HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT, HIGHER EDUCATION FINANCING, HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS, HIGHER EDUCATION LAW, HIGHER EDUCATION REFORM, HIGHLY EDUCATED PEOPLE, HUMAN CAPITAL, HUMAN RESOURCES, INFORMAL ECONOMY, INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITATION, INTERNSHIPS, JOB CREATION, JOB PLACEMENT, JOB PLACEMENT SERVICES, JOB SEEKERS, JOBS, KNOWLEDGE BASE, LABOR DEMAND, LABOR FORCE, LABOR MARKET CHARACTERISTICS, LABOR MARKET INSTITUTIONS, LABOR MARKET NEEDS, LABOR MARKET OUTCOMES, LABOR MARKET POLICY, LABOR MARKET RIGIDITIES, LABOR MARKETS, LABOR MOBILITY, LABOR SUPPLY, LEARNING, LEARNING OUTCOMES, LEARNING PROGRAMS, LIFE-LONG LEARNING, LITERACY, LITERATURE, LOCAL LABOR MARKET, LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYMENT, MATHEMATICS, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, OCCUPATIONS, PASSIVE LABOR, PRIMARY EDUCATION, PRIMARY SCHOOL, PRIMARY SCHOOL EDUCATION, PRIVATE COST, PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT, PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS, PRIVATE MARKET, PRIVATE PROVISION, PRIVATE SECTOR, PRIVATE SECTOR ACTIVITY, PRIVATE SECTOR COMPANIES, PRIVATE SECTOR FIRMS, PRIVATE SECTOR INVOLVEMENT, PRIVATE TRAINING, PRIVATE TRAINING PROVIDERS, PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES, PRIVATE UNIVERSITY, PROBLEM SOLVING, PROFESSORS, PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT, PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES, PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES, PUBLIC UNIVERSITY, PUPILS, QUALITY ASSURANCE, QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION, QUALITY TEACHING, REAL WAGE, REAL WAGES, RESEARCH PROGRAMS, RESEARCHERS, SCHOOLING, SCHOOLS, SCIENCE DEGREES, SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, SCIENTIST, SCIENTISTS, SECONDARY EDUCATION, SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATION, SECONDARY SCHOOL GRADUATES, SECONDARY SCHOOLS, SKILL SHORTAGE, SKILL SHORTAGES, SKILLED EMPLOYEES, SKILLED LABOR, SKILLED PEOPLE, SKILLED WORKFORCE, SOCIAL WORK, STAFF SALARIES, STUDENT LOAN, STUDENT POPULATION, TEACHER, TEACHERS, TEACHING, TECHNICAL SKILLS, TERTIARY EDUCATION, TERTIARY EDUCATION REFORM, TERTIARY EDUCATION SYSTEM, TERTIARY ENROLLMENT, TERTIARY ENROLLMENT RATE, TERTIARY GRADUATES, TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS, TOTAL EMPLOYMENT, TRADE UNIONS, TRAINING PROGRAM, TRAINING PROGRAMS, TRAINING SERVICES, TUITION, TUITION FEES, UNEMPLOYED, UNEMPLOYED LABOR, UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE, UNEMPLOYED PERSONS, UNEMPLOYMENT, UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, UNIVERSITIES, UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS, UNIVERSITY BUDGET, UNIVERSITY DEGREE, UNIVERSITY EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY GRADUATES, UNSKILLED LABOR, VOCATIONAL EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS, VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS, WAGE GROWTH, WAGE LEVELS, WORKER, WORKERS,
Online Access:	http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000333037_20100608013737 https://hdl.handle.net/10986/3186
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