Lubomir Stoytchev
Papers of BAS. Humanities and Social Sciences
Vol. 10, 2023, No. 2
Social-demographic dimensions of Bulgaria’s NEETs:
Poverty and ethnicity in focus
Lubomir Stoytchev
Abstract. This study investigates the socio-demographic dimensions of Bulgaria’s NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) population, focusing on poverty and ethnicity, particularly among Bulgaria’s Roma. The purpose is to explore how and to what extent poverty influences NEET status, with an emphasis on the disparities be- tween Roma and non-Roma youth. The methodology relies on data collected through a survey conducted by NSI/FRA, employing a two-stage stratified cluster sampling of 15 thousand households. The data were processed using weighted percentages, direct standardization, and tetrachoric correlations to assess the associations between socio-de- mographic characteristics and NEET status. Results show that Roma youth aged 15-29 are disproportionately represented in the NEET population, with a NEET rate of 53.6%, compared to 19.3% for the general population. After direct standardization by poverty, the Roma NEET rate reduces to 36.2%, though it remains significantly higher than the national average. This finding underscores that poverty, while a key factor, does not fully explain the elevated NEET rates among Roma, suggesting other structural barriers also are in play. The study concludes that comprehensive policies targeting both poverty reduction and other social measures and interventions are essential to reduce the NEET rates among vulnerable ethnic groups. It also highlights the economic losses resulting from youth disengagement from the labour market, emphasizing the importance of integrated policy measures.
Keywords: Bulgaria’s NEETs, Roma, poverty, ethnicity
Papers of BAS. Humanities and Social Sciences
Vol. 3, No 2, 2016
SOCIOLOGY
Income inequality, youth unemployment and the expansion
of Bulgaria’s higher education in the new millennium
Lubomir Stoytchev
Abstract. The influence of income inequality and youth unemployment on the expansion of the higher education in Bulgaria is analysed and interpreted. Bivariate and multivariate linear regression models are calculated and discussed. Quantitative evidence about an association between income inequality and the growing percentage of higher education graduates is presented. The youth unemployment perspective to higher education is also modelled and explored as a context and as a predictor. Data analyses confirm the theoretical assumption that increasing income inequality in society can lead to more higher education graduates, especially among the 25-64 age group. Youth unemployment proves to be an important contextual setting for the income inequality – higher education relationship.
Key words: income inequality, S80/S20 income quintile, youth unemployment, tertiary education/higher education