Conference on Labor Markets, Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategies, Western Balkan Region, May 27-28, 2005, Thessaloniki, Greece

Introduction

Between 2002 and 2004, the World Bank (WB) together with bilateral and multilateral donor organizations organized two Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSs) fora for the Balkan countries to discuss and exchange experiences on the challenges of developing and implementing national PRSs. During these events, country delegations expressed strong interest in similar events on a regular basis to share experiences and learn best practice strategies for developing and implementing PRSs. This year the Conference on Labor Markets, Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategies was organized by the World Bank in collaboration with United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID). The Conference focussed on the role of labor markets and job creation in reducing poverty, a topic high on the policy agenda of all participating countries. This focus was motivated by the observation that despite a steady, and at times rapid, economic growth, many of these countries are experiencing significant difficulties labor market outcomes: high and persistent unemployment, declining labor force participation, and emerging wage and social inequalities.