The Effects of Digitalization and Skills on Women’s Labor Market Inclusion- Serbian Gap Study

Abstract

In this paper, women's social inclusion in the labor market as a long-lasting employment problem is researched under the new digitalization requirements. Furthermore, the importance of the factors is explored, including those connected to the digital knowledge and skills of women (WDKS) and the institutional support of digitalization (DIS), for women's inclusion in the labor market (WLMI) and employment in a digital age. Using the Likert scale instrument for 15 claims within the specified variables of the study conducted in Serbia in 2022, 224 women participated in the research and rated the influence. Findings showed that the knowledge, digital skills, and competencies of girls and women (WDKS) are strongly correlated with their social inclusion in the labor market (WLMI). The impact of the DIS, institutional measures, and policies as a set of digital infrastructure, networks, and low-level adjustments for the digitization process's development is also important as a part of national digital ecosystem development. These findings contribute to the literature on digitization and new knowledge development, the SDG goals on gender divide and equality, and further feminist economics scientific works.