Comparative Analysis of Three Accession Countries on Impact of Changes in Competitiveness on Labour Market Developments

Abstract

The paper attempts to analyse the links between both domestic and external competitiveness and labour market developments in manufacturing industry branches in the three new member states of the European Union – Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

Generally, we can conclude that the research carried out so far only partially confirms the hypothesis of a positive effect of the rising competitiveness on labour market developments. These are mostly the industries of deteriorating competitiveness, which reduced employment. The industries, where positive changes in the level of competitiveness occurred, showed no clear pattern with regard to employment changes. We believe that among the possible factors of this situation are the restructuring and modernisation processes, which have been experienced in the industrial branches of the transition economies with differentiated intensity and range.