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on Central and Western Asia |
| By: | Hasanov, Shavkat; Sanaev, Golib |
| Abstract: | Nonfarm employment plays an important role in absorbing unemployment in rural areas of developing countries. The agricultural transition in Uzbekistan followed by structural transformations in the economy changed the rural economy. Although farm restructuring and farm optimization policies led to agricultural growth, they had a negative impact on rural employment. The government of Uzbekistan promoted many policies to create jobs within the country. A presidential decree launched the State Program on Rural Development and Well-being in 2009, which played a crucial role in developing the economic and social infrastructure of rural areas. Small business and private entrepreneurship were given priority to absorb the rising unemployment, especially in rural areas. Against this background, the paper studies non-farm employment trends in rural areas of Samarkand region. In particular, we explore the main drivers of non-farm business development and its impact on rural employment in the Samarkand region. The main employment trends in rural areas of Samarkand region are described using statistical data. We also explore migration trends in Uzbekistan and Samarkand regions. A survey was conducted with 34 mahallas' (community) chairpersons and representatives to better analyze the intersectoral and international migration of the agricultural workforce. Although remittances are crucial in poverty alleviation of Central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan, the economic crisis in 2008-2009 in Russia cast a shadow on the further prospects of migration. We show how the development of non-agricultural business in the Samarkand region increased the incomes of the rural population. The agro-processing sector plays a vital role in creating clusters based on the agro-industrial complex, which in turn will create more opportunities for employment in rural areas of the country. |
| Keywords: | Employment,the Rural Nonfarm Economy (RNFE),Non-Agricultural Business,Rural Area,Samarkand Region |
| JEL: | P41 J60 J68 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:iamodp:176&r=all |
| By: | Ganiev, Ibragim; Sanaev, Golib; Pardaev, Khusniddin |
| Abstract: | Since national independence, the government of Uzbekistan has been paying attention to developing its education system, including agriculture. A number of regulations have been adopted in order to address the problems in education. Among these, the Law on Education (1997) and the National Training Programme (1997) are the main two regulations adopted to address issues related to the national educational system of Uzbekistan. Nevertheless, a problem of a lack of qualified agricultural personnel in rural areas still exists, and the majority of young cadres try to find jobs in cities. This analytical study aims to analyze the motivation, aspirations, and career expectations of undergraduate and graduate students of Samarkand Agricultural Institute. In the first part of the analytical study, we review the agricultural education system and underlying policies in Uzbekistan by dividing them into pre- and post-independence periods. In the second part, we discuss the survey results of 400 undergraduate and 50 graduate students from Samarkand Agricultural Institute. The results reveal that half of observed students did not make a career choice yet and face uncertainties in employment decisions. Compared with undergraduate students, the share of graduate students wishing to continue their education (doing a PhD) was higher. The following recommendations are given: (i) agricultural vocational/professional colleges and agricultural universities should collaborate in teaching students. Also, college and university staff members should cooperate with industries and farmers to develop employment opportunities for graduates in rural areas. (ii) Economic incentives based on higher wages/salaries are very important to attract more qualified specialists to rural areas, hence policymakers should consider this issue in a broader way. Developing extension service organizations can be an option where qualified staff will be needed. Availability of good rural infrastructure for graduates from agricultural universities can encourage students to stay in rural areas. |
| Keywords: | agricultural education,motivation,career expectations |
| JEL: | I20 I21 I23 I28 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:iamodp:179&r=all |
| By: | Ege Aksu (The Graduate Center, CUNY, Economics); Refik Erzan (Department of Economics, Bogazici University); Murat Guray Kirdar (Department of Economics, Bogazici University) |
| Abstract: | We estimate the effects of the arrival of 2.5 million Syrian migrants in Turkey by the end of 2015 on the labor market outcomes of natives, using a difference-in-differences IV methodology. We show that relaxing the common-trend assumption of this methodology -unlike recent papers in the same setting- makes a substantial difference in several key outcomes. Despite the massive size of the migrant influx, no adverse effects on the average wages of men or women or on total employment of men are observed. For women, however, total employment falls -which results mainly from the elimination of part-time jobs. While the migrant influx has adverse effects on competing native workers in the informal sector, it has favorable effects on complementary workers in the formal sector. We estimate about one-to-one replacement in employment for native men in the informal sector, whereas both wage employment and wages of men in the formal sector increase. Our findings, including those on the heterogeneity of effects by age and education, are consistent with the implications of the canonical migration model. In addition, increases in prices in the product market and in capital flow to the treatment regions contribute to the rise in labor demand in the formal sector. |
| Keywords: | Labor Force and Employment; Wages; Immigrant Workers; Formal and Informal Sectors; Syrian Refugees; Turkey; Difference-in-differences; Instrumental Variables. |
| JEL: | J21 J31 J61 C26 |
| Date: | 2018–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:koc:wpaper:1815&r=all |