Abstract:

This paper captures the personal experience of the problems of the Romani in the labour market from the perspective of social workers. These experiences will be analysed from the point of view of a teacher and economist. Representative data packages about Romani households were collected in different countries such as Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania. It is therefore an international comparison.

The differences between the behaviour of Romani and “non-Romani” are, according to popular interpretations, culturally conditioned. The behaviour of Romani is typically described as suboptimal and justified by different cultural heritage whose inertia prevents them from adapting to new circumstances. On the contrary, economists and teachers assume that people as individuals behave optimally and adapt quickly to the circumstances. The aim of this paper is to determine the circumstances under which individuals’ optimization led to socially suboptimal results and to propose remedies. We use this framework to analyse the problems of Romani in the labour market. The problem is especially high rate of unemployment among the Romani ethnic group. Romani also perform unskilled work and earn less than the major part of society.

Inferior status of Romani in the labour market has many interacting causes and factors, for example:
- Lack of education
- Low mobility
- The preference for working illegally
- Indebtedness
- Discrimination
- High marginal tax
- Lack of motivation to work due to the structures of extended Romani families.
- etc.

We will therefore analyse the various causes of this unsatisfactory state and its interaction. Emphasis will be placed on the area of upbringing, education and overall social situation of Romani ethnic group.

Keywords:

Romani, labour market, analyse, factors.