Viruses don't need a passport to affect labor markets – findings from a Polish-German study on combating unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Labor markets have been strongly affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Much empirical evidence exists on how they operated since the COVID-19 outbreak, illustrated predominantly by public statistics. However, there is limited primary research on labor market stakeholders who experienced significant changes in border regions. The aim of this study is to explore the perceptions and experiences of labor market experts, especially entrepreneurs, regarding labor market functioning in border regions of Poland and Germany after the COVID-19 outbreak. The main focus has been put on examining how the COVID-19 crisis affected enterprises in terms of employment and how the labor market stakeholders assessed mitigation measures undertaken in the border regions. The study utilizes a mix-method approach. Primary data have been gathered through an online questionnaire targeted at entrepreneurs and labor officers in Germany. Next, a qualitative descriptive study design has been developed, involving one-on-one interviews and focused discussions. The analysis revealed several positive and negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the functioning of the labor market in border regions. The study explored differences in the management of the unemployment crisis in Poland and Germany in measures undertaken to mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic. Crucial issues, such as cross-border cooperation and communication have also been discussed. The study highlights the role of labor market stakeholders’ perceptions and experiences in defining future cross-border joint preparatory plans and strategies to combat potential threats and unpredictable situations. The findings of the study revealed that there is a strong need to establish cross-border cooperation in terms of tackling unemployment. It has also been indicated that border regions need an approach to combating crises such as pandemics that differs from that of other interior regions. That highlights the importance of joint security policy adaptations and the need to develop joint

Public health and national security proxies: Case of European countries

“…The theoretical basis of the research combines the existing work of scientists in several meaningful blocks: definition of the essence, quantitative measurement indicators and factors of the ecological, economic and social security of the state, including the influence made by public health factors in terms of ensuring these components of the state's national security. Flessa et al (2023), Vasilyeva et al (2021), Aliyev (2022), Remeikienė et al (2023), Rózsa et al (2022), Grenčíková et al (2022), Mishchuk et al (2023) note great importance of a balanced policy at the macro and micro levels of population's employment in ensuring the social security of the state, especially in confronting and leveling the threats caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. An important vector of employment policy is to balance the market for educational services of medical workers and the labor market for specialists in the relevant field since the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the insufficient provision of the medical system with specific medical personnel for its effective work (Ginevičius et al, 2022;Smiianov et al, 2020).…”