Sociology and Space, No. 25, 1969.
Original scientific paper
Temporary Employment abroad and Certain Socio-Economic Changes on Private Smallholdings in the Livno area
Joko Sparavalo
Abstract
The Livno area is situated in the mountainous part of Herzegovina. Poor prospects
for employment in the domestic and especially in the local economy and
unfavourable conditions for agricultural production have led to the employment
of labour from private farms in foreign countries, especially West Germany.
Figures obtained by an enquiry held on 693 farms in 1968 show that 25 per
cent of the total agricultural labour force take temporary employment abroad, 57
per cent of the private farms in the Livno area have members in foreign employment and these come prepondenratly from large farms.
As a rule (in 84% of the cases) only one member of the household leaves to
take on employment abroad, but there are farms which have two, three and even
more members in foreign employment.
As a result of temporary employment and the increased earnings deriving
from it many individual persons and even complete families have moved out o.
the Livno area.
Most of the money earned abroad is spent on the construction of houses and
the purchase of domestic equipment and a much smaller proportion on the purchase
of farm utensils. 79 per cent of the houses constructed since 1960 belong to
households whose members are employed abroad, and only 21 per cent Delong to
other households. Further, households whose members are employed abroad are
much better equipped than other households: 57.8 per cent have electric lighting,
33.8 per cent possess radio sets, 42.8 per cent sewing machines, while loi othei
households (with no members emploved abroad) the iigures are much lower
(38.9%, 18.7%, 16.3%).
Despite the obvious tendency of investing only a small proportion of the money
earned abroad in farm equipment, one can conclude from the enquiry that families
whose members are in employment abroad have better faim equipment and buy
land or intend to increase their productive capacity (through the puichase of land,
cattle or sheep) more frequently than do other families in the area.
Viewed in general, temporary employment abroad has led to a marked improvement
in the standards of living of the rural population of the Livno area and
has helped to increase the economic strength of private smallholdings.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
119033
URI
Publication date:
10.9.1969.
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