Explore the vast range of titles available.

The aim of the authors is to provide a critical statistical-analytical view of the current pension system of the Slovak Republic with special regard to old -age pension savings in its fifteen-year existence, resulting in proposals for adjustments to its operation. It includes an analysis of the sustainability of pension systems, an analysis of the age distribution of savers as well as possible investment strategies of savers and the distribution of their property savings in pension funds. We model the investment strategy of a participant in old-age pension savings. We draw attention to the evaluation of old -age pension savings in pension funds during its existence and quantify the potential loss caused by an inappropriate investment strategy of savers. The an alysis showed that the Slovak participant in old-age pension savings invests mainly in conservative pension assets, which bring low volatility in the short term, which may not be optimal in the long run. In order to achieve change, we also outline the possibilities of changing the attitudes of savers to value their savings and propose reform steps that would contribute to ensuring a balance between the financial and social sustainability of the pension system.

Research background: Globalization influences the behavior of all economic actors. The aim of the presented scientific article is to examine households and household economics, which is affected by current social and innovative changes. The role of households is very important in any economy, they support economic growth with their expenditures, and it depends not only on the growth rate of household consumption, but also on the large share of income of household expenditures. Purpose of the article: The authors in the scientific article will examine households and their decision-making processes, which mainly concern consumption, taking into account income, expenditure, structure, savings, indebtedness and income stratification in the context of maintaining the required quality of life. Methods: To meet the goal, we will use available data, we will use statistical methods to analyze, compare with each other and, based on the findings, propose the necessary measures. Findings & Value added: Globalization processes are part of us and must be accepted in order for households to be able to meet their needs. As their income in particular becomes important, it will be necessary to decide which group of expenditures the household will prefer in order to achieve them. So far, according to statistical data, a very low part of household expenditures went to education, although it is the higher educational level of household members that presupposes that the household will be able to adapt to the challenges of globalization.

Labour mobility is one of the factors that positively influence the balance of the labor market and employment and thus, economic growth. Milton Friedman, in his speech (1968) to the American Economic Association, communicated that the natural rate of unemployment depends on the degree of labor mobility in the economy. In this article we examine the interdependencies between migration and housing in Slovak Republic. Most residents commute to work in Bratislava and Trnava regions and migration between the other regions is not as pronounced. Low migration of population in Slovak Republic is strongly affected by high percentage of private ownership in the housing sector, which is arresting work force trapped in unemployment. In regions of high unemployment it is also high percentage of dwellings owned by households, affecting possibility of employment in other regions, because they have insufficient income to procure reality in the area with availabale work places as there is no sector of rental housing assuch. Based on the forecasts of the house prices development this status in the next 5 years will not change.

There is a space at the interface between the public and state sectors and the private profitable, market sector for the operation of the social economy. The social economy is a socially beneficial area in solving social problems in many countries of the European Union and is still consolidating its position in terms of the Agenda 2030. The paper presents a framework of new and unexplored issues, where the novelty a current overview of the role of social enterprises in providing housing support for low-income groups in regions of the Slovak Republic with elevated unemployment rates, in alignment with the objectives set forth in Agenda 2030. We also focus on the potential of social enterprises in solving the issue of housing for people with insufficient income in marginalized communities, as this area has received little attention in Slovakia. As part of the empirical part, we conducted an analysis of the development of social enterprises and their establishment in the regions. Since a quarter of the social enterprises are located in the least developed regions, where unemployment is significantly worse than the Slovak average, we examined by correlation whether there is a dependence between the number of available job seekers of working age in % of the working age population in individual regions of the Slovak Republic and the number of social enterprises established in the regions of the Slovak Republic. From empirical research, we can identify that social housing enterprises are an important tool that helps solve the issue of housing for people who do not have sufficient income to secure it however, the absence of effective financial support results in their uniform composition.

Creating conditions for a sustainable level of quality of life for older people is considered the dominant priority when setting up the pension system with an emphasis on the income situation of Slovak seniors for old-age pensions. An old-age pension as a systemic benefit is an important element in maintaining the quality of life of older people. The amount of old-age pensions is currently at the center of discussions between institutions and the Government of the Slovak Republic. A major social but also economic problem in the coming decade will be how to maintain the income of older people, pensioners, needed to ensure their sustainable quality of life. In particular, it is necessary to ensure that pensioners receive sufficient income so that they do not become a population at risk of poverty as the groups at risk of poverty or social exclusion also includes people over the age of 65. The paper focuses on the analysis of the socio-economic situation of Slovak pensioners in the Slovak Republic in connection with material deprivation. At the same time we analyze the Christmas contribution as a non-systemic benefit which, on the one hand, has a positive social impact on the recipients of pension benefits who are entitled to the Christmas benefit but, on the other hand, has a negative impact on the general government budget.

The Roma ethnic group represents an integral part of the Slovak population. Thanks to their specific customs and traditions, in combination with social segregation, they have kept several differences from the majority of the population. These differences have also been demonstrated in the conditions and quality of housing, which are the basic indicators of the economic and cultural maturity of an individual, as well as the nation itself. The goal of this paper is to examine the issue of the Roma population in the Slovak Republic, with a focus on the area of housing. In the historical excursion, the authors present the arrival of the Roma to Europe and subsequently the present territory of the Slovak Republic. They point out the importance of the Roma issue and what has caused the conditions and factors determining the development and position of this ethnic group at the periphery of the majority. Using the data from the Atlas of Roma Communities from 2019, they analyze the demographic behavior and reproduction of the Roma population, which differs from the reproduction behavior of the majority population, as well as the territorial displacement of the Roma. In the following sections of the paper, the authors focus on examining the housing conditions of the Roma community in individual regions of the Slovak Republic and the programmes aimed at improving the housing situation of the Slovak Roma.

The Slovak Republic has a high proportion of so-called fictitious tradesmen on the labour market, as evidenced by data not only from Eurostat, but also from the Social Insurance Institution. According to statistical data, the number of fictitious tradesmen in Slovakia has increased over the last ten years from 84 thousand to almost 110 thousand. The exact number cannot be determined, but there are ways of estimating it. According to the profesia.sk portal, most job offers indicating the employment of fictitious tradesmen are in manufacturing, transport and construction. As tradesmen pay 6 times less tax and tax payments on the total price of the work for the first year of the trade and 2.3 times less for the following years of the trade, the budget of the Social Insurance Institution as well as the state loses significant sources of revenue. The benefits of the so-called bogus trades are exploited by companies in the form of reduced levy obligations, but employees lose their rights to protection and, at the same time, the adequate amount of future pension benefits as well as benefits from the social security system. The aim of this paper is to examine the reasons and motives for the use of 'bogus trades' and to try to identify measures that will eliminate the use of bogus trades and contribute to a fair level of pension benefits. A Slovak fictitious tradesman who pays minimum contributions is entitled to a minimum pension under Slovak legislation, even though the amount of the pension will not correspond to the contributions paid. This has implications for the fairness and sustainability of the pension system.

The Slovak Republic is in the golden age from the perspective of the demographic structure, as the productive population reaches its peak, as well as the ratio of the population in the productive age to the population in the pre- and post-productive age. However, in a few decades, the Slovak Republic will be affected by one of the most rapid aging of the population within the countries of the European Union, which will bring several challenges. We can prepare for some challenges, but some are already unavoidable. The changed demographic structure is mainly associated with expenditures on the social and health system, which are experiencing rapid growth causing pressure to strengthen segments such as long-term care, barrier-free premises as well as healthcare. Improving health care and a better quality of life bring results in the form of longer average life expectancy for both men and women. While in 1993, 64-year-old women lived for another 17 years, in 2019 it was 20 years. For men, there was an increase from 14 years to 16 years. According to the long-term forecast, in the year 2100 the life expectancy will increase for 64-year-old women to 28 years and for men to 26 years, which raises the question of how to ensure enough high-quality and affordable health and social long-term care for people dependent on essential help. However, aging will also affect caregivers, causing a shortage of them. In the article, we set ourselves the goal of identifying long-term care providers as well as applicants in the context of the effects of aging. Based on the above, in the article we have outlined the possibilities of using technology for remote care and continuous supervision of a vulnerable group. Innovations in technology complement the social service system and give family members a sense of peace.

In the 2021 Green Paper on Aging, the European Commission called for a discussion on the issue of an aging European society, which represents one of the most important challenges having significant impacts on both individuals and society. The Slovak Republic connects demographic development mainly with expenditures on the social and healthcare system, which are experiencing rapid growth. The aging of the population brings about changes in society, therefore it is necessary to respond with systemic changes, and at the same time it is necessary to prepare for the growing pressure on the provision of social services that the aging of the population will cause. The historical context in building the institutional system of providing social services originating from the last century is changing under the influence of the development andfocus of European social policy, and the need to provide social services in a natural family environment is highlighted. The development trends also point to not only the growing cost of the services provided, but also to the growing demand for social services. In this contribution, we set ourselves the goal of identifying providers and applicants for the provision of social services in the context of population aging. High facility occupancy indicates that growth in demand is outpacing growth in facility capacity, despite the fact that growth in client numbers is partially dampened by a growth in a healthy life expectancy. Based on the above, in this paper we have outlined the possibilities of solving the unsatisfied demand through alternative forms of housing for Slovak seniors. In conclusion, we present the results of a questionnaire survey with the subjective opinions and preferences of respondents on questions related to housing for seniors in the Slovak Republic.

Population aging is already one of the biggest challenges for all EU countries and hurts all spheres of society. That is why the European Commission, in its Green Paper on Aging 2021, also calls for a debate on new opportunities and opportunities for an aging European society. The projected growth in the number of elderly people and the decline in the economically active is perceived not only as an economic but also a social threat. We are unlikely to be able to reverse this undesirable process, so it is necessary to shift the negative perception of the aging process as a burden on public finances to the perception of aging as an opportunity for sustainable economic growth. Older people are able to make a significant contribution to creating social and economic value in our society. The elderly population is an important and essentially growing group of consumers. The financial situation of seniors is gradually stabilizing, as the vast majority of them no longer have obligations, their own housing has been paid for and their children are already insured. The Slovak Republic associates demographic development mainly with expenditures on the social and health system, but so far it abstracts from the penetration of aging into other areas and does not reflect on the possible opportunities of securing economic growth as the population ages. In this paper, we aim to identify selected sectors for socio-economic challenges and opportunities related to the aging population and outlining measures to ensure economic growth and innovation using the potential of a growing group of silver generation in the Slovak Republic.