Unemployment and Quality of Labour Force in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland - A Comparative Report

Abstract

The paper undertakes the problem of labour force quality and its importance for persons in the labour market in three countries of system transformation, namely the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary. Quality of labourforce is a broad category dependent on multitude offactors. It can also be measured in various ways. In the paper an emphasis is puf on two significant aspects of labourforce, namely: level of education and vocational skills. The transition process, which started in Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic in the beginning of 1990-s, contributed to the shifts in structure of employment by sectors. In all the researched countries an increase was recorded of service sector participation compared to the beginning of the period, as well as a decrease of agriculture participation in employment. Individuals' position in the labour market depends on the human capital stock possessed by particular persons (that is level of education, vocational skills, experience and work practice).