Bosnian economics 101
Among Bosnia's long list of problems is, of course, its economy. It is ahead of only Moldova and Albania among the poorest countries in "Europe," and its unemployment rate is Europe's highest, hovering at an unbelievable 44%. Although Sarajevo is vastly better off than the mostly decrepit, polluted rural towns, the effects can still be seen here. A simple demonstration of the unemployment rate, for example, can be had by standing on a corner of the main walking street at any time, any day of the week and watching the hordes of people strolling back and forth. Bosnians love to walk for the sake of walking, strutting up and down the sidewalks with no destination in mind, simply chatting away or engaging in a little of the old "see and be seen." I used to think there was some kind of Richard Simmons-esque obsession with light aerobic exercise here -- now I realize that many just don't have anything better to do.
Almost all of the young people I meet here are enrolled at university in any number of subjects, ranging from medicine to mechanical engineering to English literature. Those with real jobs are the exception. And even for the university students it is unclear whether their education will ultimately amount to employment. They all take their studies very seriously, but I've encountered so many people who are just going back "for one more year," even though they were already supposed to have graduated. Perhaps they are postponing the harsh reality of the real world -- kind of like me, the unpaid intern, or employee of my parents if you want to look at it that way. Anyway, a guy I met named Hrag (incidentally, a member of the miniscule Bosnian Jewish community) admitted to me that of those enrolled in his management economics degree, a significant percentage will not find jobs. Nevertheless, mysteriously they all seem to have some kind of disposable income to be able to go out and get coffee whenever they please and adamantly refuse to allow me to pay for even one drink.
Of course, the 44% unemployment statistic is somewhat misleading as a large proportion of "unemployed" people work for organized crime. Most educated locals will tell you with a disgusted scowl that the entire political establishment is dominated in one way or another by the mob. The mafia has an enormous influence in Bosnia, and it is hard not to notice the mafiosos themselves. Many of the Sarajevo strollers referred to earlier are brawny men in leather jackets doing what they do best: skulking around town, stroking their gelled hair, puffing on classy cigarettes and making sure you don't make eye contact with them.
There are also a large number of people unaccounted for in the informal economy, i.e. the black market. I in fact stumbled upon The Black Market itself last week, a vast conglomerate of little huts down an alleyway near the main square where you can purchase Gucci jeans for $5 and Microsoft Office for $2. Governments of the world: if you're looking for it, I found it.
A Bosnian friend named Adnan, who goes to university in Austria, explained to me that one of the best things about living in a poor country is the incredibly cheap price of Playstation games. But this in turn leads to too much time spent on video games and less on working or finding a job, thus weakening the economy even further, which in turn cheapens video games yet again --and the vicious cycle continues...
Almost all of the young people I meet here are enrolled at university in any number of subjects, ranging from medicine to mechanical engineering to English literature. Those with real jobs are the exception. And even for the university students it is unclear whether their education will ultimately amount to employment. They all take their studies very seriously, but I've encountered so many people who are just going back "for one more year," even though they were already supposed to have graduated. Perhaps they are postponing the harsh reality of the real world -- kind of like me, the unpaid intern, or employee of my parents if you want to look at it that way. Anyway, a guy I met named Hrag (incidentally, a member of the miniscule Bosnian Jewish community) admitted to me that of those enrolled in his management economics degree, a significant percentage will not find jobs. Nevertheless, mysteriously they all seem to have some kind of disposable income to be able to go out and get coffee whenever they please and adamantly refuse to allow me to pay for even one drink.
Of course, the 44% unemployment statistic is somewhat misleading as a large proportion of "unemployed" people work for organized crime. Most educated locals will tell you with a disgusted scowl that the entire political establishment is dominated in one way or another by the mob. The mafia has an enormous influence in Bosnia, and it is hard not to notice the mafiosos themselves. Many of the Sarajevo strollers referred to earlier are brawny men in leather jackets doing what they do best: skulking around town, stroking their gelled hair, puffing on classy cigarettes and making sure you don't make eye contact with them.
There are also a large number of people unaccounted for in the informal economy, i.e. the black market. I in fact stumbled upon The Black Market itself last week, a vast conglomerate of little huts down an alleyway near the main square where you can purchase Gucci jeans for $5 and Microsoft Office for $2. Governments of the world: if you're looking for it, I found it.
A Bosnian friend named Adnan, who goes to university in Austria, explained to me that one of the best things about living in a poor country is the incredibly cheap price of Playstation games. But this in turn leads to too much time spent on video games and less on working or finding a job, thus weakening the economy even further, which in turn cheapens video games yet again --and the vicious cycle continues...
posted by Sam at 1:20 PM
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