The risk of poverty among people working in the Podlaskie voivodeship

Subject of the research

In this research, „the working poor” is a person, who has a full or a part-time job and whose household balanced manageable net income is below 60% of median income.

(definition according to Eurostat)

Aims of the research „Diagnosis of the scale and the characteristics of

the working poor phenomenon among working people of the Podlaskie province;

Identification of the factors responsible for the risk of poverty among working people;

Analysis of the socio-economic consequences of the working poor phenomenon;

Characteristics of the public policies dealing with the working poor problem;

Elaboration of the recommendations aiming at improvement of the situation of working people at risk of poverty.

Research methods and techniques

Desk research analysis;

PAPI interviews with working people at risk of poverty (467 interviews);

Individual depth interviews

Employers’ organizations (4 interviews),

Non-governmental institutions (5 interviews),

Institution of social policy (1 interview).

Research methods and techniques

Telephone depth interviews

social welfare centres (8 interviews),

district family assistance centers (8 interviews).

In the following districts: kolneński, sejneńskim suwalski, grajewski, sokólski, moniecki, zambrowski, białostocki;

Expert interviews

Scholars (3 interviews),

Provincial Labour Office (1 interview),

Regional Social Policy Centre (1 interview),

The EUROpartner Akademicki Association (1 interview).

The working poor in the Podlaskie province - characteristics

Most of the working poor of the survey sample were 20-30 years old. It is caused by the fact that due to their lack of qualifications and experience they do low-paid works.Poverty of the 30-40-year-old people was caused by the presence in their households of other family members financially depending on them, including children and parents.

Education of the working poor

A low level of education often coincides with difficulties in acquiring new professional qualifications, problems with rapid retraining, lack of mobility, etc.

Education of the working poor

Low level of education reduces the chances for career progression,

Lack of additional courses, certificates, etc. results in the fact that they have to do the simpliest works.

Their education is inadequate to meet the needs of the labor market – they often undertake a work that is inadequate to their profession;

Doing the simpliest works does not give any opportunity to gain professional experience, therefore the working poor do not acquire professional skills.

Size of the working poor households

In 6,2% of the households there are people in need of constant care;

The households with children younger that 6 years who do not go to the kinderkarten/nursery constitute18,63%;

In 32,7% of the households there are no children, but there are other persons without income.

Condintions of work and poverty Low payment resulting from doing:

Works that do not require education or other professional qualifications;

Simple and supervised works; Works that are inconsistent with professional

qualifications.As a result, employees do not develop their carrier – they are at risk of constant poverty.

Farmers on small subsistence farms are a group susceptible to poverty Moreover: they hardly take part in various training courses, workshops;they are not willing to undertake an additional work.

Economic situation and poverty

Form of employment of the working poor

At least 47,3% of the people working on the basis of the commission contract and at least 65,6% of those working with contract for work earn less that the minimum wage;

37,3% of the respondents declared that they do a part-timework.

Form of employment of the working poor

Employment conditions and poverty

Issue of social services

13,92% of the respondents declare that they benefit from social assistance benefits;

Other respondents often declare that they have not had information on the possibilities to use the financial assistance offered by the social welfare institutions;

Over the half of the respondents who use social welfare benefits would undertake any paid job irrespective of the amount of the remuneration;

Average limit, below which the working poor would not perform a paid work, is lower than the minimum wage.

Prevention of the working poor poverty

Recommendations

Raising the level of professional qualifications

at the working poor

Raising self-esteem and efficacy in the

working poor. Actions should be based on various forms of self-help and individual and group therapies;

Organization of trainings and skills enhancement workshops. The action should be based on consultation with the business sector and based on the current place of employment.

Support for the working poor single parents

Promotion of local initiatives related to the protection of children (neighborhood kindergarten)

Promotion of family voluntary and the III generation voluntary e.g. strengthening of family ties (as a result, grandparents helping with childcare);

Increasing access to kindergartens and nurseries.

Support for multiperson families

Activation of the unemployed members of a household at risk of poverty;

Development of a free-time bank – support for families in the field of childcare;

Promotion of volunteering as a form of introduction to the professional activity;

Provision of micro-credits by the welfare institutions, as an instrument giving the possibility to escape from the debt spiral.

Promotion and support for starting up own business activities

Promotion and support for micro-initiatives,

e.g. going back to the tradition of cottage industries in relation between a big manufacturer and a family farm/rural family,

Development of small family businesses with a production including livestock and development of micro-gardening and vegetable farms,

Development of the agrotourism.

Prevention of the adoption of negative patterns in children of the working poor

Social work with the working poor children; Involving elder people in education aid

(voluntary of third generation); Financial support ensuring them a social

advancement (scholarships, funding for study);

Financial support ensuring them a correct physical and psychological development (feeding, financing holidays).

Support for farmers

Promotion of agro-tourism; Establishment of initiatives in form of

cooperation with large agricultural producers;

Social work in order to reduce the negative social attitudes - changing the claims attitude into the social and professional activity;

Increasing the level of social capital in rural areas (opening of rural day rooms).

Acknowledgments

The Collect Consulting Company would like to thank those who participated in the study,

“The risk of poverty of working people in the Podlaskie region”

and

the Provincial Labour Office

for their cooperation during the implementation of the study.