European Policy Analysis Volume 2, Number 1, Spring 2016 | Page 83

European Policy Analysis

to participate in the labor market longer.
This finding is closely related with the
work-life management problem. Further
analysis shows that in Lithuania, Estonia,
and Bulgaria those issues are more
pronounced.

Work/ life balance. The possibility
of managing both family and work life

can influence the decision to withdraw
from the labor market or to stay longer
in it. Seemingly, in Lithuania, Poland,
Slovenia, and Bulgaria, there are fewer
opportunities to reach the balance
between the work and family life for those
who would like to continue in paid work.

4,30
4,20
4,10
4,00
3,90
3,80
3,70
3,60
3,50
3,40
3,30
Wanted
to retire

Preferred
to
continue
in paid
work

Wanted
to retire

Preferred
to
continue
in paid
work

LT

LT

EE

EE

Wanted Preferred
to retire
to
continue
in paid
work
HU

HU

Wanted
to retire

Preferred
to
continue
in paid
work

Wanted
to retire

Preferred
to
continue
in paid
work

PL

PL

CZ

CZ

Wanted Preferred
to retire
to
continue
in paid
work
SK

SK

Wanted
to retire

Preferred
to
continue
in paid
work

Wanted
to retire

Preferred
to
continue
in paid
work

SI

SI

BG

BG

Figure 8. Wanted to retire and preferred to continue in paid work by the variable “important for choosing a job: job allowed you to combine work/family life” (mean value,
5 original categories from “not important at all” (1) to “very important” (5); ESS5)

The implementation of family–
work reconciliation measures at the
level of enterprises is less developed in
Central and Eastern European countries.
The proportion of women and men who
reported their work hours fit well or very
well, their demands from the private life
are much less than that in EU-27 and
especially less than that in Northern
European countries (77.9% and 89.6%,
respectively) (European Foundation for
the Improvement of Living and Working
Conditions 2012a).

According to Eurobarometer
(76.2), family care obligations can cause
withdrawal from the labor market of
working people aged 55+. Family care

obligations push a bigger share of older
population to stop working in Romania,
Bulgaria, Hungary, and Poland (this factor
was very important for, respectively, 26%,
25%, 24%, and 21% of the respondents).
In the case of older employees, the family
care obligations are usually related to the
need to take care of older parents/relatives.
According to Eurostat, the expenditures
on care for the elderly (2012, % of GDP) in
these countries (except Hungary—0.5%)
and in Baltics were the lowest: less than
0.2% of GDP, while average expenditure
on care for elderly in the EU28 was 0.5%.
And (as was previously mentioned)
the individuals/families are mostly
responsible for the care.
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