Globalization and labour markets. (c2004)

Abstract

Rapid technological advances and global economic changes resulting from technological advances and global economic integration are causing difficulties in maintaining the employability of large segment of Arab population including Gee labour force. At the same time, new forces are creating new opportunities for increased economic growth and employment. However, it is the level and quality of a country's labor skills that are becoming the critical factors in taking advantage of the opportunities and minimizing the social costs of globalization. In this work, globalization has been addressed in its relevance and the direct impact imposed on the labor force, including productivity, competition and emerging labor markets. Gee countries are being presented as the case study for this dissertation and were analyzed in the context of security and socio-economic stability, attributed to social and economic problems that has been escalating decades ago and have not been addressed properly. The MENA region and Gee although they both vary in their GDP levels but are similar that they both lag behind on the globalized scale! The MENA region's economy and labor structure were highlighted within the context of labor migration to the Gee and contemporary challenges of globalization. Projections concerning future labour force demand imply that economic growth in GCC countries could fail to generate enough jobs to accommodate new national entrants to the labour markets in the next five to ten years. Hence the expansive 'womb to tomb" welfare system will not be able to continue to meet the expectations of the nationals in the contemporary area of globalization and the fall oil revenues. Considerable proportions of oil revenues have been invested to establish a welfare state that caters not only to the basic needs of the average citizen but also to the unlimited demands of a population with continuously rising expectations. The dissertation has pointed out to a major point of great importance, is that political security cannot be achieved apart from economic and social security. Economic and social security constitutes the main pillar anchoring a political security. Economic and social security are related to the State's ability to provide minimum living standards (economic and social) for members of the society in the manner, which improves their quality of life. Thus, comprehensive development of the society in terms of advancing quality of life is a key indicator of the economic and social security. To achieve political, economic and social security in the GCC, its implementation must be based on two basic preconditions as follows: material and human resources challenges imposed by social and economic structure. The paper validated the challenges and impacts of globalization on the socio-economic structure of the GCC countries, pointing out to the interdependence between both the socio-economic dimension and the security of the GCC countries. Several examples, discussion methods and figures were generated to support this assumption.