ZAGREB, July 14, 2019 – The Croatian National Bank (HNB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have organised the conference entitled “Demographics, Jobs and Growth: Navigating the Future in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe” which starts in the Adriatic resort of Dubrovnik on Sunday.
This year’s conference “focuses on labour market and demographic challenges, the future of labour, and policies needed to sustain growth and reach Western European levels of income,” the HNB says on its web site.
“During the first part of the conference, panellists will discuss the economic developments and capacity constraints arising from labour market shortages and skill mismatches.
“The issues of ageing population, emigration and the impact of these demographic shifts on income growth and convergence, will be addressed in the second part of the conference. Panellists will also discuss the potential role of technology, alongside other policies, in mitigating the adverse impact of demographic trends,” the central bank says.
Tao Zhang, Deputy Managing Director of the IMF is quoted as saying that “the conference will address one of the most significant challenges for the region – a shrinking and aging population.”
Apart from the IMF and CNB representatives, in attendance at the event will be Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and about fifteen CESEE central bank governors and finance ministers, representatives of the World Bank, the European Commission, the Bank for International Settlements and other institutions, as well as experts from the universities of Oxford, London and Tartu.
More news about the HNB can be found in the Business section.
