Female Employment in Formal and Informal Sectors of the Serbian Economy

With the economic crisis acknowledged in 2008, unemployment strongly increased – mostly due to the fall in the industrial sector – which indicates the possible emergence of a new poor and extremely poor population, alongside the decrease of trade deficit and foreign direct investment. Serbia has a large informal sector estimated at 35 per cent of GDP in 2007, fuelled by a weak regulatory framework, inappropriate tax and expenditure policies, and weaknesses in law enforcement, including the fight against corruption. It remains an important challenge as it reduces the efficiency of economic policies. The government should now focus on the following three issues to attract entrepreneurs in the formal sector: (i) contract enforcement (especially the functioning of the courts); (ii) access to finance (particularly bank credits); and (iii) clear title to land real property.