The integration of the Roma as an advantage for the job market

There is an increasing shortage of qualified workers in Slovakia. In a commentary, Martin Kahanec of the Bonn Institute for the Future of Work (IZA) recommends the integration of the Roma, an ethnic group that up to now has lived on the periphery of society. "The relatively young and dynamic group of the Roma has great potential to counter the negative demographic trend on the job market. Not only is the social marginalisation of the Roma morally unacceptable, it is also a huge waste of economic and social potential... The integration of the Roma must begin with pre-school education. ... There should be no discrimination whatsoever - not even for ethnic reasons - on the job market. Only then will the members of an ethnic minority invest in their own education, which is a prerequisite for finding a job."

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