Characteristic of in-work poverty – a comparison between Romania and European Union

The aim of this article is to analyse the characteristics of the working poor in Romania compared to other European Member States. In-work poverty is an important aspect in the discussions regarding the effectiveness of employment in preventing the risk of poverty. The in-work poverty is the result of several factors among which we mention those related to the individual characteristics, household composition, and labour market policies. In Romania, the level of in-work poverty continues to remain high for the overall employed population aged 18 years and over and this evolution is due to the part-time working program, the temporary contracts, and the low level of education. The last part of the article presents the measures identified in the scientific literature to reduce the in-work poverty.

Quality of Life of Children from Families Affected by Migration: The Role of Educational Policies

The problems of children from Romanian transnational families represent a current issue and one of great interest in the field of public policies that need to be developed in Romania in order to offer solutions that will lead to an increase in the quality of life within these families. This article reflects, based on the results of a survey among parents/grandparents who care for children from transnational families and two focus groups with authorities/organizations with a role in managing the problems of transnational families, the main issues faced by children from these families within education. The results obtained indicate an increased need for intervention in the following areas: support to avoid school dropout; education regarding the negative effects of drug, alcohol and other toxic substance consumption; and supervision in the completion of school assignments. All these problems influence the educational course of children and consequently the quality of life of all family members. This article offers support to decision makers in the field of educational policies to effectively manage the real problems of these families, highlighting the vital role of substantiating public policies based on scientific studies

Changes Under Pressure: Mapping Recent Developments in Long-Term Care Policy

 Social, economic, and technological challenges have imposed transformations of the long-term care services in order to improve the system efficiency, the quality of services and the satisfaction of bene­ficiaries. The article aims to provide a review of the policy reforms and performance of the long-term care system in Romania. To support the effects of these transformations, a review of the scientific lit­erature was conducted. We then highlighted charac­teristics of the current long-term care system that are evolving in response to the changing social and economic environment. Several issues related to the public financing, labor force, quality assurance, and unmet needs are discussed.The analysis suggests that evaluation of the long-term care system in terms of sustainability, health and quality of life of beneficiaries and their families impose a good coverage with long-term care quali­ty services. Policy makers should ensure adequate collection of data to substantiate further policy measures, as well as full implementation of the long-term care policy.</p

FACTORS THAT POTENTIALLY AFFECT THE FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PENSION SYSTEM IN ROMANIA

In Romania, the State Social Security Budget spending exceeds the revenues, and this situation leads to a growing deficit of the public budget. This evolution is the result of a complex of factors, more or less difficult to be managed, which we analyze in this article. The phenomenon of ageing has a significant role in increasing the pressure on the social protection systems, in general, and on the pension system, in particular. Also, the labour market related factors and the economic factors have an important impact on the sustainability of the pension system. The design of the pension system is equally important

FACTORS THAT POTENTIALLY AFFECT THE FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PENSION SYSTEM IN ROMANIA

In Romania, the State Social Security Budget spending exceeds the revenues, and this situation leads to a growing deficit of the public budget. This evolution is the result of a complex of factors, more or less difficult to be managed, which we analyze in this article. The phenomenon of ageing has a significant role in increasing the pressure on the social protection systems, in general, and on the pension system, in particular. Also, the labour market related factors and the economic factors have an important impact on the sustainability of the pension system. The design of the pension system is equally important

Factors Associated with the Participation of Older Adults in Cultural and Sports Activities

In the context of population aging, we have witnessed an increased interest in studying the participation of older persons in cultural and sport activities. The aim of this paper is to identify the participation rate in cultural and sports activities among Romanian older adults and the sociodemographics/behavioral variables that correlate with the participation rate in cultural and sports activities. In order to answer our research questions, we employed a questionnaire-based survey, and we used a nationally representative sample. Results point to low participation in both cultural and sports activities. Gender, residence, education, income, degree of mobility, internet connection, and availability of financial resources are significant variables that correlate with the engagement of older people in cultural and sports activities. Our study could serve as a base for concrete policy measures in the field of health and social inclusion of older persons

Sustainable Care and Factors Associated with Quality of Life among Older Beneficiaries of Social Services

Population aging has led to an increased recognition of the problems encountered by older persons. As a consequence, the most recent years have been marked by a series of changes with regard to the organization and provision of social services for dependent older people. The aim of this article is to identify factors associated with the quality of life in old age, using a logistic regression applied to the data collected following a field survey among the beneficiaries of social services. The analysis revealed that men are more likely to appreciate that life does not make sense, compared to dependent elderly women. Age is also a significant factor that influences the quality of life: the older the people are, the more they tend to think in a positive manner about their life. Health, social participation and food are also important factors that influence the perception regarding the quality of life