2013年-世界发展银行全球_Activating_Vulnerable_People_into_Good_Jobs_in_Turkey_130页_2mb

Summary of the Report: Activating Vulnerable People into Good Jobs in Turkey

Core Content

This report, prepared by the World Bank and the Turkish Ministry of Development, explores the challenges and opportunities in activating vulnerable people into productive employment in Turkey. It emphasizes the importance of activation policies—which aim to help individuals move from dependency to self-sufficiency through employment and skills development—as a critical tool for improving labor market outcomes, reducing poverty, and enhancing social cohesion. The report is structured around four main areas: conceptual frameworks, current activation policies, profiling of vulnerable groups, and skill development strategies.

Main Groups of Vulnerable People in Turkey

1. Definition of Vulnerability

Vulnerable people are defined as working-age individuals who are able to work but are at high risk of not obtaining a "good job." These individuals are often "stuck" in low-productivity, low-wage, or informal employment, or are completely out of the labor market.

2. Types of Vulnerability

Four broad categories of labor market difficulties are identified:

• Not working at all
• Low work intensity (working less than six months a year)
• Low earnings (less than two-thirds of the minimum wage)
• Informal work (no social security contributions)

These categories may overlap, and some individuals fall into multiple categories, referred to as "cyclers."

3. Key Vulnerable Groups

The report identifies 12 distinct subgroups within the vulnerable population, based on a latent class analysis of SILC data. The largest groups are:

• Housewives with working husbands (13%)
• Women without work experience (6%)
• Women who have been unemployed for long periods (5%)
• Women who are working in informal or unstable jobs (5%)
• Women with limited skills or education (4%)

Among men, the largest groups are:

• Informal, low-earning workers (9%)
• Older self-employed family men (7%)
• Retired urban men (5%)

4. Employment Challenges

• Women: Only 29% of working-age women are employed, and over 50% of female employment is informal. Increasing female employment can significantly boost income and reduce poverty.
• Youth: Over 30% of youth (ages 15-24) are neither working nor in education, which is the highest rate among OECD countries. This group is at risk of long-term labor market exclusion.

Activation Policies in Turkey

1. Current Situation

• Turkey has expanded its activation policies, but they are still less comprehensive than those in many OECD countries.
• The ISKUR (Turkish Employment Agency) is responsible for delivering activation services, but it faces challenges in handling the large volume of clients transferred from social assistance (SA) systems.
• MoFSP (Ministry of Family and Social Policies) and ISKUR have signed a protocol to coordinate activation efforts, including job search, job finding, and employment support.

2. Strategic Planning and Legal Arrangements

• There is a need for better coordination between the PES (Public Employment Services) and SA (Social Assistance) systems.
• The report suggests the use of profiling to identify and prioritize vulnerable groups based on their needs and potential for employment.

3. Activation Implementation

• A simplified profiling exercise was conducted to identify the types of clients that could be targeted by activation policies.
• The findings indicate that a large number of vulnerable individuals are inactive women with limited or outdated skills.
• Better targeting and tailored support packages are essential to improve the effectiveness of activation policies.

4. Next Steps

• iSKUR and MoFSP should evaluate the introduction of compulsory registration for SA beneficiaries.
• They should also consider punitive measures for non-participation in activation programs, to ensure that only the most vulnerable receive SA benefits.
• The report recommends that activation programs should be designed to help the "impossible-to-employ" and that employable individuals should be required to participate in activation efforts.

Skills and Productive Employment

1. Role of Skills in the Turkish Labor Market

• The report highlights the importance of skills development in enabling vulnerable individuals to find productive employment.
• There is a significant skills gap in Turkey, particularly among women and youth.
• The Turkish education system is under pressure to align with labor market needs and improve the skills utilization of graduates.

2. Policy Options to Overcome Skills Barriers

• Lifelong learning (LLL) and vocational education and training (TVET) are key to improving skills and employability.
• The report suggests that public services should be restructured to provide more targeted job search assistance and counseling services.
• Collaboration with external providers could help improve the efficiency and reach of activation programs.

Key Findings and Recommendations

1. Need for Profiling

• Profiling is crucial to identify and prioritize vulnerable individuals based on their needs and potential for employment.
• A robust profiling system can help tailor social benefits and active labor market assistance to maximize the impact of activation policies.

2. Improving Coordination

• Better coordination between PES and SA systems is necessary to improve the effectiveness of activation programs.
• International best practices, such as work-focused interviews and mandatory work preparation, should be considered for adoption in Turkey.

3. Strengthening Employment Services

• The ISKUR system needs to be strengthened to handle the large volume of SA beneficiaries.
• The use of external providers and group-based services could help improve the efficiency of activation programs.

4. Policy Design and Implementation

• The report emphasizes the need for customized and coordinated activation policies that address the multiple barriers faced by vulnerable individuals.
• Performance indicators should be developed to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of activation programs.

Conclusion

This report underscores the importance of activation policies in helping vulnerable individuals, particularly women and youth, move from dependency to self-sufficiency through productive employment. It recommends a more targeted and efficient approach to activation, based on profiling and improved coordination between public employment services and social assistance systems. The development of skills and education is also highlighted as a critical component of successful activation, especially in the context of Turkey's rapid economic growth and changing labor market dynamics.