Transitional labour markets in a transitional economy: Could they work? The example of Poland

The prospects for successful implementation of the TLM approach in Poland depend on numerous factors, and it is important to remember that the impact of these factors will rarely be one-dimensional. TLMs would entail a series of both advantages and disadvantages for employers, employees, the self-employed, non-paid workers, the unemployed, trainees and older workers facing retirement. Moreover, the unique mix of economic, social, technological and demographic changes found in Poland will have a substantial impact on the prospects for implementing TLMs. There is no conclusive answer to the question formulated in the title. A number of arguments suggest that the reply might be positive: the prospect of social and political approval for TLMs, EU membership, the need to combat widespread unemployment and illicit employment, the rising level of education, the high rate of economic growth, and many others. There are also, however, many potential obstacles: the poor level of agreement between the social partners, the lack of funds for ALMP, inadequate links between different employment statuses on the labour market, the scale of poverty, inadequate mobility, structural reforms, poor implementation of labour law, etc.