SIROMAŠTVO I SOCIJALNA ISKLJUČENOST NEZAPOSLENIH OSOBA : PERSPEKTIVA SOCIJALNOG RADA

Abstract

There are numerous challenges that economies face today. Unemployment has many negative outcomes, with poverty and social exclusion being among the most severe. Due to the pronounced instability of economies in the world, generally as a consequence of the pandemic, the consequences of the war in Ukraine, currency changes, and other social issues, the question is raised as to how many employees are under the potential threat of some type of poverty or unemployment. People who do not have enough resources to meet their material needs can be considered to be living in poverty. Therefore, unemployment is not only a cause but also a consequence of poverty and social exclusion. Social exclusion implies the inability to participate in social, economic, cultural, and political life and can be considered a multifaceted process in which a person’s opportunities for employment, access to health care, inclusion in social networks, and other social processes are reduced. This paper aims to analyse the share of people living in poverty and social exclusion in the Republic of Croatia for the period from 2015 to 2021. It also aims to analyse the most frequently used topics discussed in the fields of unemployment as a macroeconomic field and social work as a social field. In that manner, an interdisciplinary approach has been taken. The paper will analyse the trends of the unemployed as a part of the population that, due to non-participation in the labour market, is in potential danger of poverty and social exclusion. Therefore, the tools used in the Republic of Croatia in order to influence the reduction of poverty and social exclusion of unemployed persons are analysed as well as the disproportion expressed at the county level in the Republic of Croatia. Special emphasis is placed on the role of the social work profession in advocating for and representing vulnerable groups and on the measures by which the social welfare system responds to the problems of poverty, social exclusion and, indirectly, unemployment. The paper presents comments and recommendations for potential successful tools for reducing the problem of poverty and social exclusion.