A person’s status of ‘preparing for the labour market’ (PPLM) is a new instrument applied by the Employment Service to support individuals facing barriers to labour market participation, with the provision of integrated case management support. Older unemployed people are particularly disproportionately assigned to the status. By employing the semi-structured interviews with older PPLM status holders alongside an analysis of Public Employment Service (PES) statistical data, this paper examines changes in the situation of older (55+) jobseekers following the introduction of the PPLM status. The analysis of normative documents, institutional data, and PES jobseekers’ responses indicates that the meaning and purpose of the status is often misunderstood by its holders, while the limited number of case managers restricts the effective implementation of the intended support model. The availability of PES services and measures for PPLM jobseekers is lower compared to those applicable to the PES jobseekers with the ‘usual’ unemployed status. Thus, the PPLM status can create a risk of further alienation from the labour market for older people.
Demographic changes such as aging and fertility portend many things. They include impacts for labor and employment, pensions, and schooling. But do demographic changes implicate political change? A generation ago, American scholars examined racial demographic changes in the US and forecasted an ‘emerging Democratic majority’. This did not occur. But, since that prediction, the US as well as the rest of the world has experienced generational shifts, seeing the exiting of the pre-WWII and now the post-WWII or Baby Boomer generations and their replacement with the Millennials and Gen Z. Using the US as a case study, this paper examines the political impact which the shift in generations has had upon American politics, along with predictions regarding what this shift will mean for the immediate future. The thesis is that much of the conflict in US politics in the last twenty years has been driven in part by generation differences. Moreover, while there are generally significant generation differences in political attitudes in the US, such differences are not uniform, and they are mediated by race, class, and gender such that while there are possibilities for significant political change in terms of party composition and public policy, there is no guarantee regarding the exact direction.
The goal of this article is aimed at the identification of the behaviour, attitudes and beliefs of the Lithuanian population towards several key events at the start of adult life course, i.e., when it is the most appropriate to initiate the first events of cohabitation with partner, marriage union, and becoming a parent, and when these events have been completed. Conceptually, the article assesses the extent to which these attitudes are influenced by normative cultural attitudes, and how the so-called 'standard' sequence of family life events (partnership, marriage, childbearing) is accessible to maintain. Furthermore, it has been examined to what extent the family life scenarios identified in the Lithuanian population are close to the scenarios in other European countries. The empirical part of the paper is based on analysis from the European Social Survey (ESS) Round 9 data. The research was conducted by using various methods - from descriptive sequencing data to regression analysis. The results show that only a minor proportion of the respondents consider that their family life has been started in a timely manner, while the sequence of the life course for most Lithuanians does not coincide with their expectation and perception of the most appropriate time to start those events. These discrepancies provide evidence to the general assumption about the uneven development of modern Lithuanian society and the different experiences of structural changes between generations which have conditioned the different implementation of important demographic events (e.g., delaying marriage) across generations.
Background: Socially vulnerable women are at an increased risk of negative childbirth experiences and subsequent postpartum mental health difficulties; however, empirical evidence on these associations remains limited in the Lithuanian context. Aim: This study aimed to examine childbirth experiences among socially vulnerable women and their associations with the risk of postpartum depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in comparison with women not experiencing social vulnerability. Methods: The study analysed data from the nationwide survey carried out in 2023 “My Childbirth” (N = 1,471), conducted among women who gave birth in Lithuanian hospitals. Results: Socially vulnerable women were significantly more likely to report negative childbirth experiences (21% vs. 13%) compared to non-vulnerable women. They also demonstrated a higher risk of postpartum depression (30% vs. 22%) and PTSD symptoms (10% vs. 5%). Negative childbirth experiences were strongly associated with an increased risk of both postpartum depression and PTSD symptoms. Conclusions: Subjective childbirth experiences play a central role in postpartum emotional wellbeing; whereas, social vulnerability constitutes a significant risk condition for both negative childbirth experiences and adverse mental health outcomes.
Population ageing, within an evolving socioeconomic and technological landscape, has brought renewed attention to the quality of Long-Term Care (LTC), a multidimensional concept encompassing, inter alia, regulatory design, monitoring capacity, service delivery structures, user engagement and workforce conditions. Yet, substantial cross-national variation in the definition and operationalisation of ‘LTC quality’ – including the absence of any definition in some national legislations – hinders comparative understanding and system-wide improvement. Greece represents a particularly instructive case. Despite having one of the fastest-ageing populations in Europe and the EU’s lowest public expenditure on LTC, the LTC sector in this country remains characterised by fragmented governance, minimal public investment, heavy reliance on informal and migrant carers, and the near absence of palliative care, dementia services and quality-assurance mechanisms. Against this background, this exploratory article examines how key stakeholders conceptualise LTC quality, the challenges they identify, and the pathways they consider necessary for improvement. Drawing on 15 semi-structured interviews with academics/LTC policy experts, public officials, senior administrators/managers of LTC units, as well as formal and informal carers, the qualitative thematic analysis utilised identifies six interlinked themes: conceptual ambiguities and legislative gaps; the absence of comprehensive quality standards; data deficiencies and weak monitoring infrastructures; minimal quality-assurance mechanisms; limited user involvement and persistent unmet needs; and workforce constraints that undermine LTC quality. These themes cluster around the three dimensions that dominate international debates on LTC quality: conceptual and regulatory foundations; monitoring and accountability; and care experience and delivery. The findings reveal severe weaknesses but also highlight opportunities for reform, including the establishment of measurable quality standards, development of interoperable data systems, and construction of a coherent quality-assurance architecture. The analysis ultimately suggests that improving LTC quality requires not only a legislative reform, but also sustained political commitment, meaningful stakeholder engagement and everyday practices grounded in the lived realities of care.
