Slovenia: Generous family policy without evidence of any fertility impact

Slovenia was not a typical socialist country; the transformation that had started at the end of the 1980s did not cause such great turbulences as in other countries in transition. However, unfavorable consequences did accompany the transition, particularly for some segments of the population. Fertility trends in Slovenia, as seen in the total fertility rate, have not surpassed the replacement level since the end of the 1970s. The lowest level of 1.21 was reached during the 1999-2003 period. Since then, the total fertility rate has been increasing slightly. Postponement in childbearing began with cohorts born after 1960. In today’s Slovenian society, on average young women achieve higher education than men, and they perceive (potential) motherhood as a drawback in the labor market. Almost all parents in Slovenia are employed full-time, even those with small children. Nevertheless, the traditional gender-division of roles persists in the family. Extended education, relatively high unemployment among the young, and a shortage of adequate housing prolong the stay in the parental home. Together with insecure employment, a responsible parenthood norm, and the perceived high costs of children, this results in childbearing postponement and a lower final number of children. Slovenia has a relatively well-developed family policy, particularly on parental leave and pre-school childcare. Notwithstanding, almost no impact of family policy on fertility has ever been observed.childbearing, Europe, family policy, fertility, Slovenia

Porodni dopust i dječje naknade: stavovi, prioriteti i mogući učinci

The paper addresses two family policy measures: parental leave and child benefit. It attempts to find out: 1) how people evaluate the existing measures, 2) which are the preferred alternative forms of these two measures (the length and mode of use of the parental leave, and dependence of child benefit rates on the family income, age of the child and the number of children), 3) how high the improvements of these two measures rate among the desired family policy measures, and 4) what possible impact these improvements may have on deciding to have (more) children. Empirical analysis is based on the International Population Policy Acceptance Survey database that covers 14 European countries. Multivariate analysis is used to explain the individual countries’ results and some of the intercountry variation. It was found out that people tend to estimate a relatively high impact of the introduction of desirable family policy measures on their probable decision to have a(nother) child. The combination of improved parental leave arrangements and a substantial rise in child allowance proved to have a lower fertility impact than other combinations of family policy measures considered in the survey.Članak se bavi dvama mjerama obiteljske politike: porodnim dopustom i dječjim naknadama. Članak pokušava istražiti: 1.) kako ljudi procjenjuju postojeće mjere, 2.) koji se alternativni oblici ovih dvaju mjera preferiraju (dužina i način korištenja porodnog dopusta, ovisnost stopa dječjih naknada na obiteljska primanja, dob djeteta i broj djece), 3.) kako se poboljšanje tih mjera procjenjuje unutar željenih mjera obiteljske politike, i 4.) koji bi učinak ta poboljšanja mogla imati na donošenje odluke o rađanju (još) djece. Empirijska analiza temelji se na bazi podataka Međunarodne ankete o prihvaćanju populacijske politike (International Population Policy Acceptance Survey) koja obuhvaća 14 europskih zemalja. Multivarijantna analiza rabi se za objašnjenje rezultata pojedinačnih zemalja i neke od varijacija među zemljama. Otkriva se da ljudi teže procjeni relativno visokog učinka uvođenja željenih mjera obiteljske politike na na njihovu odluku da imaju (još jedno) dijete. Pokazalo se da kombinacija poboljšanog porodnog dopusta i znatno povećanje dječjih naknada ima manji učinak na stopu plodnosti nego druge kombinacije mjera obiteljske politike koje se razmatraju u anketi

Poverty Line – Basic Concepts

U članku se daje pregled koncepata i metodologije ocjenjivanja linija siromaštva. Prikazana je podjela na apsolutne i relativne te objektivne i subjektivne linije siromaštva. Autorica zaključuje da ne postoje općeprihvaćene definicije linije siromaštva. Važnost tog zaključka je u činjenici da je koncept siromaštva, apliciran u konkretnoj analizi, odlučujući za rezultate mjerenja siromaštva, različite rizične grupe stanovništva, pa čak i različito rangiranje država i drugih teritorijalnih jedinica u komparativnim analizama. Svi ti rezultati bitni su za definiranje politike i mjera za borbu protiv siromaštva.The article gives an overview of different concepts and methodologies for estimating the poverty lines. Absolute and relative poverty lines, as well as objective and subjective concepts are discussed. If all the concepts are summed up, poor is the one: -who lacks certain necessities, -who has less than others have in a society, -who is not to have enough to make ends meet. In the first group there are definitions of poverty being an absolute deprivation and definitions based on some basic needs and food ratios. To the second group belong the definitions of poverty as a share of an average income, income percentile definitions, Townsend’s deprivation index, as well as Mack and Lansley’s definition. Subjective definitions of poverty form the last group. The concept of poverty is essential for the results of poverty measurement which is an important first step in a program aimed at reducing poverty. Different poverty lines and poverty indices result in different poverty rates, different population groups identified to have the highest poverty risk, and even in different orders of countries in comparative analyses

Fertility and family policies in Central and Eastern Europe after 1990

This paper examines fertility and family policies in 15 Central and East European (CEE) countries to establish firstly, likely directions of cohort fertility trends for the coming decade; and secondly, to provide an overview and analysis of family policies in CEE countries, and to assess their impact on cohort fertility trends. Demographic analysis suggests that the cohort fertility decline of the 1960s cohorts is likely to continue at least among the 1970s birth cohorts; stagnation cannot be ruled out. Births that were postponed by women born in the 1970s were not being replaced in sufficient numbers for cohort fertility to increase in the foreseeable future, and shares of low parity women (childless and one child) were larger than shares of high parity women among the late 1960s cohorts than in older cohorts. Also, childbearing postponement which started in the 1990s is reflected in dramatic changes of childbearing age patterns. As period fertility rates have been increasing in the late 2000s throughout the region an impression of a fertility recovery has been created, however the findings of this project indicate that no such widespread childbearing recovery is underway. For the first time ever an overview and analysis of CEE family policies is conceptualized in this paper. It demonstrates that fertility trends and family policies are a matter of serious concern throughout the region. The following family policy types have been identified: comprehensive family policy model; pro-natalist policies model; temporary male bread-winner model; and conventional family policies model. The majority of family policies in CEE countries suffer from a variety of shortcomings that impede them from generating enhanced family welfare and from providing conditions for cohort fertility to increase. The likely further decline of cohort fertility, or its stagnation, may entail long-term demographic as well as other societal consequences, such as continuous declines in total population numbers, changes in age structures, as well as implications for health and social security costs.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Family Policies in Europe

U članku se navode osnovne karakteristike obiteljske politike, njeni uzroci i namjena. Autorica predstavlja najčešće i najznačajnije mjere obiteljske politike: porodni i roditeljski dopust, dječje doplatke, porezne olakšice na račun djece i subvencionirani predškolski odgoj djece. Opisana je konkretizacija tih mjera u nekim europskim državama. Navedene su i neke druge mjere obiteljske politike uvedene u Europi.The basic characteristics of the family policy are stated together with its causes and aims. The most common and important family policy measures are described in more details: maternity and parental leave, child allowances, children\u27s allowances, and subsidized child care. The concretization of these measures in selected European countries is presented. Several other family policy measures, introduced in Europe, are mentioned as well

Prispevek družbene odgovornosti podjetij k enakosti spolov in usklajevanju poklicnega in družinskega življenja

Corporate social responsibility in the field of work-life balance and gender equality (equal opportunities) is increasingly becoming a strategic issue for companies. Extensive literature indicates a positive impact of corporate social responsibility on employees, enterprises, the national economy, and society as a whole. Certifying/awarding and public exposure of best practices/enterprises/organisations have proved to be a good way to stimulate the introduction of family-friendly policies with a gender-equality dimension. This paper presents the introduction of the "Family-Friendly Enterprise" certificate in Slovenia.Družbena odgovornost podjetij na področju usklajevanja poklicnega in družinskega življenja ter enakosti (enakih možnosti) spolov postaja za podjetja vse bolj strateško pomembna. Obstaja obsežna literatura o pozitivnih učinkih družbene odgovornosti podjetij na zaposlene, podjetja sama, narodno gospodarstvo in celotno družbo. Certificiranje/nagrajevanje in javno izpostavljanje najboljših praktičnih primerov/podjetij/organizacij se je pokazalo kot dober način stimuliranja uvedbe družini prijaznih politik/ukrepov, ki hkrati prispevajo k enakosti spolov. V članku je prikazana uvedba certifikata "Družini prijazno podjetje" v Sloveniji

The Minimum Wage and Social Assistance in the Member Ststes of the European Union

Članak je sistematičan, komparativan prikaz zakonskog uređenja minimalnog dohotka u državama Europske unije. Minimalni dohodak je ona visina dohotka koju država zakonski jamči svakome državljanu (ili stanovniku) koji sebi i svojoj obitelji iz objektivnih razloga ne može priskrbiti dohodak u toj visini. Minimalni dohodak ostvaruje se putem socijalne pomoći koja je jednaka razlici između razine minimalnog dohotka i vlastitog dohotka konkretne osobe, odnosno njegove obitelji/domaćinstva.This article offers a comparative overview of the legal regulation of the minimum wage in the European Union. The minimum wage is a sum of revenue that a state legally guarantees to each citizen (or inhabitant) who cannot provide for him/herself or for his/her family for objective reasons. The minimum wage is allocated through social assistance which is equal to the difference between the amount of the guaranteed minimum wage and a person\u27s own revenue, that of his/her family, or household. The author provides and analyses data on the following elements of the right to social assistance in member countries of the European Union: persons who have the right to social assistance in connection with their citizenship, residence, age, etc.; revenues which are taken into account when determining the amount of social assistance; the application of the principle of subsidiarity in determining the right to social assistance; the amount of the minimum wage for individuals and families as a starting point for social assistance; the manner of establishing the basic amount of the minimum wage; the duration of the right to social assistance; the valorisation of the guaranteed minimum wage; the connection between the right to financial assistance and the measures of an active employment policy; other rights associated with the guarantee of a minimum wage; and social care for the elderly and social care for single parents

Goals, Measures and Consequences of the Family and Population Policy

U članku se definiraju zajednički elementi obiteljske i populacijske politike. Autorica analizira i kritički ocjenjuje njihove ciljeve, ciljne grupe, mjere i sl. Brojne europske države nemaju eksplicitnu obiteljsku i/ili populacijsku politiku. U članku se postavljaju ova pitanja i pokušava na njih odgovoriti: koji su elementi obiteljske i populacijske politike komplementarni? Do koje mjere može jedna politika zamijeniti drugu? U kojim slučajevima imaju suprotne ciljeve, odnosno njihove mjere suprotne učinke? Kakvi su demografski učinci obiteljske i populacijske politike? Analiza je deskriptivna, teorijska i utemeljena na povijesnim primjerima.The paper defines common issues of the family and population policies. Their goals, target groups, measures, etc. are analyzed and critically assessed. Since numerous European countries do not have explicit family and/or population policies, it is most important to know which issues are nevertheless covered by other policies. The following questions are raised and an attempt is made to have them answered: Which elements of family and population policies, and social security and population policies are complementary to each other? To what extent can they substitute each other? In which cases can they have opposite aims (or their measures opposite effects)? What are the demographic impacts of family and population policies? The analysis is descriptive, theoretical and bases on historical examples