Recent Changes in the Structural and Regional Disparities of the Labour Market in Serbia-A Shift-Share Analysis

Abstract

This paper provides a comparative analysis of the regional competitiveness of the labour market and the regional concentration of employment in Serbia for the period 2015–2020. A shift-share analysis was used to measure the spatial competitiveness. Based on the results, we have drawn up a typology of 25 regions (NUTS 3 level) in Serbia, and the main processes regarding structural changes and regional employment differentiation were identified as indicators of regional economic development. On this basis, conclusions about the state’s location policy in the given period can be drawn, in the context of both its institutional conditions and the accepted model of economic growth. The article provides a brief insight into the main methodological issues of the shiftshare analysis and proposes a new typogram for the classification of territorial units, which is applied in the interpretation of the results and the discussion. The aim of this study is to analyse the structural changes and regional differentiation of the labour market. The results are important for determining dynamics in the spatial distribution of employment and the regional competitiveness of the labour market and for improving regional and sectoral policies, regional planning, and labour market management at the regional and national levels.