Regional Formation and Development Studies

The article focuses on problems of the integration of migrants in Lithuania from the perspective of social workers working in NGOs. The research highlights various difficulties that migrants face during their transition from migration to integration, such as mental, physical, socioeconomic, spiritual and other challenges. Also, language, housing, health care, education, socio-economic integration and self-identity were identified as common challenges faced by all groups of migrants during integration, with those from Third World countries facing more complex issues. These difficulties include issues related to financing, resettlement, access to hospitals and state institutions, nutrition, communication, identification, and more. The research emphasises the importance of a third party to ensure that the needs of migrants are met, and that they are treated normally and without discrimination. It also emphasises the need for migrants to be able to participate in decision-making, to prevent situations like mass demonstrations or attempts to create a state within a state. Social workers in NGO settings play a crucial role in helping migrants integrate into Lithuanian society, and policymakers must develop policies and programmes that address the unique challenges faced by Third World migrants.

he article examines the process of youth transition from the education system to the labor market in Lithuania. It discusses the context of social policy and the regulation of legal and strategic documents. The main focus is on the European Union’s Youth Guarantee program, aimed at reducing youth unemployment, particularly among NEET (youth not in employment, education, or training). The article addresses the theoretical assumptions of the transition process and analyzes various theoretical perspectives, such as status change and human capital theory, which are used to assess youth integration into the labor market. In the Lithuanian context, the transition from the education system to the labor market is not a linear process. Youth transition is often accompanied by periods of unemployment and inactivity. The article distinguishes three youth segments: labor market-active youth, inactive individuals (studying but not working), and NEET youth. Special attention is given to the NEET indicator, which has increased over the long term in Lithuania, although it has fluctuated in different periods. The study also highlights the connections between youth employment and unemployment indicators with the NEET group, as well as correlational relationships showing that fluctuations in youth unemployment rates are closely related to changes in the NEET indicator. Additionally, the impact of educational attainment on youth employment is analyzed, noting that higher education does not always ensure successful employment. The article provides conclusions and recommendations on how to improve youth opportunities for successful integration into the labor market.

The importance of regional economic growth is emphasized in many countries and their regional policy documents. This issue is emphasized also by many researchers. D. Genaro and E. Melchor (2010) state that by the time of A. Smith, economists started to focus on a problem of economic growth. According to the authors, in recent years, economists have moved from economic interest in the operating cycle analysis to the medium and long-term revenue growth influencing factors analysis. This analysis is very important because as stated by L. Ayala and A. Jurado (2011), many countries or regions economic growth reduces poverty indicators; inequalities reduction is encouraging by policy measures. Despite ongoing national regional policy programs or the Structural Funds of the European Union or the Structural Funds, significant regional differences still exists. There must be emphasized the fact that in theories of regional development a lot of attention are paid on focus what conditions are favorable for creating economic growth in the region. There are focused on modernization of the economical sectors and international business development. The new models of regional development theories visible bring together economic, management and other modern concepts of social integration.

This study consists of three main themes: (1) An overview is given about the main findings of the economic theories associated withemployment and labour / paid work; reinterpretation of the concept of labour is also provided, divided into pre-industrial, industrialand post-industrial periods, which the author aligns with the periods of the economic thought. The author interprets globalizationas a factor influencing the transition between industrial and post-industrial periods; and she elaborately introduces its economicsocialand labour market impacts. Among the potential alternatives of employment of the future, this thesis investigates the atypicalforms of employment, public employment and social (solidarity) economy. (2) Central-Eastern European countries and regions areanalyzed, as the territorial unit of the research, from labour market and employment aspects. Afterwards, the author evaluates theemployment situation of her closer environment, Northern Hungary. (3) Afterwards, she contributes suggestions to the criteria ofcreating a more efficient regional employment policy. The aim of this research was analysed the regional labour market situation bythe Central-Eastern European countries and regions, in particular by the North Hungarian region and was gave some proposals for apossible, efficient regional employment policy. Therefore through the multiple transformation of work concept, the demand for alternativeemployment forms has increased along with the significant change of the content. The author believes that these alternativefields and the regional employment policy can provide the answer for global labour market problems in the future. At the beginningof her research, she hypothesised that the position of the North Hungarian region is significantly determined by its special economicand social context which can be derived from the end of communism. The author used Hoover-index, tested the Okun’s law inCentral-Eastern European countries and regions, calculated the Markov-chain model and used factor analysis methods.

The current global situation after Covid-19 presents the situation of youth in Europe as a synthesis for an international strategy of national youth policies instigated by the Council of Europe ‘Supporting Young People in Europe: Principles, Policy, Practice’. We look at youth policy as an initiative within other policy areas, which affect not only young people but all of society. The article presents the social and demographic situation of youth in the EU, and the state of play regarding welfare and poverty, education, employment, family issues, health and behaviour, and the future of youth in the EU.