In this research of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labor market and women’s employment in Kosovo, D4D has placed a particular focus on the disproportionate impact of the health, social and economic situation in Kosovo on the lives of women and men. This has further deepened the gender gap in the labor market, and has increased gender inequality. According to official data, and those collected from the survey conducted for the purposes of this study, some of the main findings include:
Globally, more women than men have lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 impact on the labor market. Therefore, the situation with the pandemic has had a significant impact on the lives of women, increasing the number of inactive women, reducing the opportunities to provide for their families, a burden multiplied as a result of preventive measures, etc.
In Kosovo, measures taken against the spread of COVID-19 have had an adverse impact on women’s lives and employment. The research found that from Q1 2019 to Q1 2020:
- participation of women in the labor force has increased by 4.02%
- women’s employment increased by 5.83%
- unemployment dropped by 3.21%.
- the percentage of inactive women decreased by 0.99%.
These figures, calculated in real terms, indicated that numbers of unemployment and inactive women have also increased. Only 3.3% of women are employers, and 85.4% of employed women are workers. 11.2% of women have unstable jobs, while 5.3% of women in family businesses are not paid. From 2015 to 2020, the percentage of inactive women in the labor market decreased by only 2.44% (from 81.90% to 79.90%).
From March to October, 81,875 new job seekers (38,343, or 46.81% women, and 43,586, or 53.21% men) were registered in the Employment Agency. From April to October, around 53,000 inactive people in the labor market were reactivated, of which around 24,000 women and 29,000 men. In the period January-June 2020, MLSW has registered only 2572 job vacancies, indicating that employment opportunities during this period were optimal.
D4D found that 5.3% of women and 2.6% of men had their employment contracts terminated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, 26% of women were sent on unpaid leave, with 19.5% of them not receiving full pay during the pandemic months.
As a result of the measures taken by state institutions to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic, the burden on women grew bigger, due to the closure of businesses, closure of educational institutions, suspension of public transport, and other restrictive measures. D4D found that the main burden for home care, and the care of children and the elderly has fallen on women. During the full and partial quarantine, 33.8% of women spent 2-4 hours a day on household chores, compared to 23% of men, 12.7% of women spent 6-8 hours a day, compared to 1.5% of men, while only 3.3% of women did not experience an additional burden during this period, compared to 23.5% of men.
In childcare, 5.8% of women carried the full burden, 24% carried the main burden, and only 28.1% of women and men shared equal responsibilities.
In relation to women’s employment from March to July 2020, 86.9% of women had no contact with employment centers, 0.8% consider it to be the first address for job search, and 8.9% of women consider that in case of losing their job, employment centers are the place to address their concern.
The study also clearly shows a lack of gender-sensitive policies at the central level, including gender mainstreaming in preventive measures, as well as economic recovery safeguards. D4D found that 61.1% of women did not benefit from any measure of the Kosovo government during the pandemic, with 18.5% listed as beneficiaries of the payment of 170 EUR for April and May. Women were beneficiaries of other measures only in optimal percentages.
This study was developed under the project Addressing the Consequences of COVID-19 on Women’s Rights in the Labor Market” supported by the Balkan Trust for Democracy. The contents of this study are under the responsibility of the author, and opinions expressed therein do not necessarily represent those of the Balkan Trust for Democracy, the German Marshall Fund of the United States, or its partners.
Ko plaća najveću cenu? uticaj KOVIDA-19 na zaposlenost zëna na Kosovu
Pri istraživanju uticaja pandemije KOVIDA-19 na tržište rada i na zapošljavanje žena na Kosovu, Institut D4D u svoju žižu interesovanja posebno je stavio nesrazmeran uticaj koji je novonastala zdravstvena, socijalna i ekonomska situacije na Kosovu imala na živote žena i muškaraca. Ovo je dodatno produbilo rodni jaz na tržištu rada i dodatno povećalo rodnu neravnopravnost. Na osnovu zvaničnih i podataka prikupljenih iz ankete sprovedene za potrebe ovog istraživanja, neki od glavnih nalaza slede:
Na globalnom nivou, više žena nego muškaraca izgubilo je posao kao posledica uticaja KOVIDA-19 na tržište rada. Stoga je situacija stvorena pandemijom imala veći uticaj na živote žena, povećavajući broj neaktivnih žena, smanjujući mogućnosti za obezbeđivanje egzistencije njihovih porodica, višestruko veći teret kao rezultat preventivnih mera itd.
Na Kosovu, mere preduzete protiv širenja KOVIDA-19 imale su negativan uticaj na život i zaposlenost žena. Istraživanje je pokazalo da se od K1 2019. do K1 2020:
- učešće žena u radnoj snazi povećalo za 4.02%
- zaposlenost žena je porasla za 5.83%
- nezaposlenost je opala za 3.21%.
- procenat neaktivnih žena opao je za 0.99%.
Ove cifre, izračunate u realnim brojevima, pokazale su da je došlo do porasta kako stope nezaposlenosti tako i broja neaktivnih žena. Samo 3.3% žena su poslodavci, a 85.4% zaposlenih žena su zaposlene. 11.2% žena ima nestabilan posao, dok se 5.3% žena u porodičnim firmama ne plaća za svoj rad. Od 2015. do 2020. godine procenat neaktivnih žena na tržištu rada smanjio se za samo 2.44% (sa 81.90% na 79.90%).
U periodu mart-oktobar, pri Agenciji za zapošljavanje je registrovano 81,875 novih tražilaca zaposlenja (38,343 ili 46.81% žena i 43,586 ili 53.21% muškaraca). Od aprila do oktobra, ponovo je aktivirano oko 53,000 neaktivnih osoba na tržištu rada, od čega oko 24,000 žena i 29,000 muškaraca. U periodu januar-jun 2020. godine, MRSZ je registrovao samo 2572 konkursa za slobodna radna mesta, što ukazuje da su mogućnosti zapošljavanja u ovom periodu bile optimalne.
Institut D4D našao je da je kao posledica pandemije KOVIDA-19, otkazan ugovor o radnom odnosu za 5.3% žena i 2.6% muškaraca. Takođe, 26% žena je poslato na neplaćeno odsustvo, dok 19.5% njih nije primilo punu zaradu tokom meseci pandemije.
Kao rezultat mera koje su preduzele državne institucije za sprečavanje širenja pandemije KOVIDA-19, teret za žene se višestruko povećao, kao posledica zatvaranja privrednih subjekata, zatvaranja vaspitno-obrazovnih ustanova, obustave javnog prevoza i drugih restriktivnih mera. Institut D4D je našao da je glavni teret brige o domu, deci i starcima pao na pleća žena. Tokom potpunog i delimičnog karantina, 33.8% žena provodilo je od 2-4 sata svakog dana obavljajući kućne poslove u odnosu na 23% muškaraca, 12.7% njih provodilo je od 6-8 sati dnevno u poređenju sa 1.5% muškaraca, dok samo 3.3% žena nije doživelo višestruki teret tokom ovog perioda, u odnosu na 23.5% muškaraca.
Kada je reč o brizi o deci, 5.8% žena ponelo je pun teret, 24% je nosilo glavni teret, a samo 28.1% žena i muškaraca podjednako je podelilo odgovornosti.
Što se tiče zapošljavanja žena, od marta do jula 2020. godine, 86.9% žena nije imalo kontakt sa centrima za zapošljavanje, 0.8% ih smatra prvom adresom za traženje zaposlenja, dok 8.9% žena smatra da u slučaju gubitka radnog mesta, centri za zapošljavanje predstavljaju mesto gde treba da se obrate za rešavanje svojih problema.
Ono što je takođe evidentno u ovom izveštaju je odsustvo rodnog usmeravanja državnih politika, uključujući rodnu perspektivu preventivnih mera, kao i mera preduzetih za poboljšanje ekonomske situacije. D4D je našao da 61.1% žena nije ostvarilo koristi ni od jedne mere kosovske vlade tokom perioda pandemije, dok su 18.5% istih ostvarile koristi zarade od 170 EUR za mesece april i maj, dok su žene u optimalnom procentu ostvarile koristi ostalih mera.
