The panel “Population dymanics affecting the labor market” at KOPAONIK BUSINESS FORUM 2025, March 2-5, organized by UNDP and National Employment Service (NES) brought together following experts: Milan Bosnić, Director of NES, Marjana Davidović, General Director of Nestlé Adriatic Hub South, Vladimir Nikitović, Head of the Center for Demographic Research at the Institute of Social Sciences Science, and Uroš Živković, Program Director of Returning Point. The moderator of the panel was Danijela Bobić Tasić, Economic Development Specialist, UNDP, while the keynote address was given by Yakup Beris, Resident Representative, UNDP. The topic of the panel were the key challenges and solutions to the labor shortage in the coming decades.
Vladimir Nikitović opened the panel discussion with a presentation on the state and perspectives of the reduction and aging of the population and workforce in Serbia and the neighboring countries based on the results of forecasting models. He discussed the validity of fears about the effects of population ageing on the sustainability of vital social systems given the neglected potential of immigration and relatively low labor force participation rates in Serbia and the region. Consequently, he presented the feasibility and effectiveness of various scenarios for dealing with the adverse effects of demographic processes, primarily with regard to the pressure of the economically inactive on the active population
The panelists agreed that solving the problem of labour shortages, changes in the labour market and disparities within the region requires fresh ideas, flexible policies and decisive testing of new solutions. These include aligning education and skills development with changing labour market demands, creating economic policies that encourage SMEs to innovate and attract investment in industries based on a highly skilled workforce and new technologies, as well as a better understanding of migration and the role of foreign workers to ensure that their participation in the labour market contributes to long-term sustainable development.
