SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATIONS OF HUMAN CAPITAL IN RURAL ROMANIA

Abstract

Human capital theory rests on the assumption that formal education is necessary to improve the productive capacity of a population. The education is an investment in human capital, which proponents of the theory have considered as equally or even more worthwhile than that of physical capital.

The main demo-educational tendencies of the human capital in rural Romania seems to be in contradiction with the goals of the human capital theory. The age structure of the active rural population constantly deteriorated in the last decade, with significant influences on the innovating capacity of the labour recruitment pool. The analysis of the interest in education by rural population’s age groups reveals a contradictory evolution in the case of rural young generation. Unfortunately, the young people (under 35 years) are becoming less and less interested in graduating secondary and higher education levels than older generations. In the period 1996 – 2012, the number of rural people aged 25 – 34 years who graduated a low educational level practically doubled, the share of this educational category in total rural population from the above-mentioned age group reaching 42%. In this way, the young population risks to endanger its access opportunities and active involvement in the labour market.