| Abstract [eng] |
The aim of the work is to analyze the factors restricting the employability of persons in minimum income protection schemes who can work. The European Commission (2008) emphasizes active inclusion policies. Two of the three main strands of this policy are carried out by the monetary social assistance system. The monetary social assistance system is important because of the aim of ensuring a minimum income (protection against poverty) and the aim of increasing employment and participation in society. The Ministry of Social Security and Labour (2021), the National Audit Office of Lithuania (2019) and the National Network of Poverty Reduction organizations (2021) show from different sources that the employment of persons receiving social benefit in Lithuania is problematic. This work therefore focuses on employment disruptions faced by monetary social assistance recipients who can work. Theoretical basis. The guarantee of minimum income (non)protection has been examined in two different perspectives: social rights (Fabre 2001; Wilensky 2002; Aidukaite et al. 2012; Panican et Ulmestig 2016) and meritocracy (Arrow et al. 2000). The development of minimum income protection systems in Europe and the US is also presented, ranging from unconditional provision of minimum income guarantees to inclusion of activation clauses. The causes of unemployment in Europe are presented, which are relevant for the unemployed, the long-term unemployed and those receiving monetary social assistance. The causes are divided into external, environmental and individual (Lindsay 2009; European Social Policy Network 2018; Duell et al. 2016; Beržinskienė, Budvytytė-Gudienė 2010). When combined and modified by author, a general scheme of unemployment factors is presented. The study sought to find out which barriers are relevant to the recipients of Lithuania's monetary social assistance and low income residents. Covering external, environmental and individual barriers to employment. The self-reported method was used. The research was carried out using the survey conducted during the project "The model of interaction between the labor market and social assistance policies and the creation of its implementation methodologies". In cooperation with the "National Network of Poverty Reduction Organizations", 499 respondents were surveyed. A questionnaire was used. The data was analyzed by the "SPPS" program, logistic binomial regressions, correlations, and cross-tabulations were applied. The survey revealed that the most topical causes of unemployment for Lithuanian cash assistance recipients are mainly related to external and individual factors. The most pressing cause of unemployment is the lack of labour demand and, at the same time, the problem of connectivity.37 Moreover, the results of the study show that better material (financial) conditions, present or to be achieved, can be said not to affect longer unemployment or periods of social benefits. |
