Poverty increases for first time in 10 years

For the first time in this decade, Serbia is facing a growing number of poor people, a conference in Belgrade heard today. This is in part due to the global economic crisis, Director of the Social Policy Studies Gordana Matkovic stated on Monday. Poverty increases for first time in 10 years “We still do not have enough data, but the fact is that the employment rate has dropped, even in informal economy, which as an important source of income for the poorest in our country,” said she. The fact that the number of poor families with children has increase raises concerns, underscored Matkovic during a break of the conference dedicated to children and poverty. According to her, local self-governments are faced with reduced budgets due to the crisis, which makes it more difficult for them to pay assistance on a one-time basis to the most vulnerable families in emergency situations. Matkovic underscored that the right solution for the newly created situation is employment, because most of the families with children that are beneficiaries, as many as 80 percent of the cases, are those in which parents do not work, and they themselves say that they prefer to work than to receive other forms of help.

Poverty increases for first time in 10 years

“We still do not have enough data, but the fact is that the employment rate has dropped, even in informal economy, which as an important source of income for the poorest in our country,” said she.

The fact that the number of poor families with children has increase raises concerns, underscored Matković during a break of the conference dedicated to children and poverty.

According to her, local self-governments are faced with reduced budgets due to the crisis, which makes it more difficult for them to pay assistance on a one-time basis to the most vulnerable families in emergency situations.

Matkovic underscored that the right solution for the newly created situation is employment, because most of the families with children that are beneficiaries, as many as 80 percent of the cases, are those in which parents do not work, and they themselves say that they prefer to work than to receive other forms of help.