<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Small and medium sized-enterprises (SMEs) are often seen as a sector important for job creation. About 2/3 of the overall employment is provided by this sector, both in the EU and in the Republic of Serbia. There is evidence that SMEs are responsible for the most part of the net employment growth. The SMEs sector in Serbia is identified as sector which can absorb a part of the unemployment generated by the large scale enterprises’ (LSEs) restructuring and privatization. Today, the unemployment rate in Serbia is high above the average unemployment rate in the EU. The question is whether the SMEs sector can absorb that unemployment, or is this sector more influenced by the crisis, relative to the LSEs. The aim of this paper is to examine the employment contribution of the SMEs in the Republic of Serbia. Furthermore, the paper will deal with the impact of the crisis on the SMEs’ employment, efficiency and their investment activities. The problems that are identified by SMEs, and that lead to rising unemployment in this sector over the past few years will be considered and analyzed.</p></abstract>

Small and medium sized-enterprises (SMEs) are often seen as a sector important for job creation. About 2/3 of the overall employment is provided by this sector, both in the EU and in the Republic of Serbia. There is evidence that SMEs are responsible for the most part of the net employment growth. The SMEs sector in Serbia is identified as sector which can absorb a part of the unemployment generated by the large scale enterprises’ (LSEs) restructuring and privatization. Today, the unemployment rate in Serbia is high above the average unemployment rate in the EU. The question is whether the SMEs sector can absorb that unemployment, or is this sector more influenced by the crisis, relative to the LSEs. The aim of this paper is to examine the employment contribution of the SMEs in the Republic of Serbia. Furthermore, the paper will deal with the impact of the crisis on the SMEs’ employment, efficiency and their investment activities. The problems that are identified by SMEs, and that lead to rising unemployment in this sector over the past few years will be considered and analyzed.

Study on Dynamics and Constraints of the Employment in the Serbian SMEs During a Crisis

University of Niš, Faculty of Economics, Serbia

Economic Themes

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Small and medium sized-enterprises (SMEs) are often seen as a sector important for job creation. About 2/3 of the overall employment is provided by this...

Study on Dynamics and Constraints of the Employment in the Serbian SMEs During a Crisis

Published Online: Mar 13, 2015

Page range: 33 - 50

Received: Oct 18, 2013

Accepted: Feb 20, 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ethemes-2014-0003

Keywords
SMEs, employment, efficiency, investments, crisis

© 2015

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Study on Dynamics and Constraints of the Employment in the Serbian SMEs During a Crisis

Published Online: Mar 13, 2015

Page range: 33 - 50

Received: Oct 18, 2013

Accepted: Feb 20, 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ethemes-2014-0003

KeywordsSMEs, employment, efficiency, investments, crisis

© 2015

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
SMEs, employment, efficiency, investments, crisis