RETHINKING THE FLEXICURITY CONCEPT IN THE POST-PANDEMIC LABOR MARKETS

The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally altered labor markets across the globe, exposing vulnerabilities and reshaping priorities within employment policies. The main changes in the labor markets due to the crisis were related to the increasing level of flexibility of work and the reduction of the security of employment. Although significant differences regarding these changes in the global, regional and local labor markets occurred, several general tendencies can be identified. Accordingly, this paper examines the flexicurity concept, a labor market model that combines labor flexibility with employment security, and evaluates its relevance and potential adaptations in the post-pandemic era. As economies face a new landscape characterized by hybrid work, increased automation, and elevated job insecurity, there is a need to reassess the application of flexicurity principles. The paper identifies key challenges, explores the effectiveness of the flexicurity concept during the pandemic, and suggests policy adjustments to better align with the new realities of labor markets. The main conclusion of the analysis is that the flexicurity concept can still be one of the contemporary paradigms of the labor market functioning but after necessary modifications concerning the changes in the nature of work and the specificities of the labor markets in the advanced and developing economies.