Abstract:
This study examines the interconnections between transformations in the education
sphere, migrations waves, and labor market in 2000–2021 based on a panel data set
for 14 Central and Eastern European countries (7 – former members of the Council
for Mutual Economic Assistance; 5 – former republics of the USSR, and 2 – former
republics of Yugoslavia). Statistical data were collected from the World Bank, the
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the International
Labour Organization databases. To describe this interconnection, a pool of parameters
was formed. Those that cause the greatest variability were selected using exploratory
factor analysis: for education – the number of teachers and students in higher education and public spending on education; for migration – the net migration flow, personal
remittances sent and received; for labor market – unemployment rate and the share of
highly educated people among the employed. Confirmatory factor analysis identified
the most influential determinants: for education – the number of students in higher
education; for migration – paid personal remittances; for labor market – unemployment rate. The covariance analysis demonstrated a robust direct correlation between
education and migration (positive shifts in the education sector serve as a catalyst for
pursuing superior employment opportunities or continuing education abroad). A relatively weak direct correlation was between education and the labor market (a more
highly educated workforce has only a limited impact on the structure and dynamics of
the labor market). Finally, a moderate inverse correlation was between migration and
the labor market (deteriorating labor market conditions give rise to migration waves).
