格鲁吉亚技能错配和非劳动收入对劳动力市场的影响

Labor Market Implicationsof Skill Mismatches and Jean-Marc Atsebi and Elif Ture SIP/2026/050 IMF Selected Issues Papers are prepared by IMF staff asbackground documentation for periodic consultations withmember countries.It is based on the information available atthe time it was completed on May 19, 2026. This paper is also 2026JUN IMF Selected Issues Paper Middle East and Central Asia Department Labor Market Implications of Skill Mismatches and Non-Labor Income in Georgia Authorized for distribution by Alejandro Hajdenberg IMF Selected Issues Papersare prepared by IMF staff as background documentation for periodicconsultations with member countries.It is based on the information available at the time it was ABSTRACT:Unemployment in Georgia remains structurally high, reflecting persistent skill mismatches andweak work incentives amid low wages and widespread reliance on remittances and social transfers. This paperfinds that over‑education remains pervasive due to limited availability of productive jobs, alongside shortages intechnical and job‑relevant skills stemming from weak links between education and labor demand. Remittances RECOMMENDED CITATION:Atsebi, J., and H. E. Ture(2026), “Labor Market Implications of Skill Mismatchesand Non-Labor Income in Georgia”, IMF Selected Issues Paper No26/050. SELECTED ISSUES PAPERS Labor Market Implications of SkillMismatches and Non-Labor Georgia Prepared byJean-Marc Atsebi and Elif Ture GEORGIA SELECTED ISSUES May19, 2026 ApprovedByMiddle East and Prepared ByJean-Marc Atsebi (FAD)andElif Ture (MCD) CONTENTS LABOR MARKET IMPLICATIONS OF SKILL MISMATCHES AND NON-LABOR A.Introduction_________________________________________________________________________2B.The Size and Nature of Skill Mismatches_____________________________________________3C.The Impact of Remittances and Government Transfers on Labor Market Outcomes_6D.Conclusion and Policy Options____________________________________________________11 FIGURES 1. Selected Labor Market Indicators Compared to Peers______________________________132. Selected Labor Market Indicators in Georgia_______________________________________143. Skill Mismatches in the Georgian Labor Market____________________________________154. Impact of Remittances and Government Transfers on Labor Market Outcomes____16 References____________________________________________________________________________19 LABOR MARKET IMPLICATIONS OF SKILL Unemployment remains structurally high in Georgia, partly driven by highskill mismatchesandweakwork incentivesamid low wages, withmany households relyingon remittances and governmenttransfers as key income sources.This paper finds thatover‑educationremains widespread in Georgiaamid limited availability of productive jobs,alongside shortages intechnical and job-relevant skills A.Introduction 1.Georgia facespersistentlabor market challenges, notably highunemployment,particularly among youth,and mounting reports of skill shortages by firms(Text Figures 1-2).Unemploymenthas fallento a historic low, but it remains above most peers, particularlyamongyoung people (Figure 1a). While labor force participation is broadly in line with peers(Figure 1b), 2.This paper examines how skill mismatches andsizeable non-labor income fromremittances andgovernment transfersaffect labor market outcomes in Georgia.It findswidespread over‑education and under‑skilling, reflecting a structural oversupply of general andtertiary education relative to job‑relevant and technical skills. In 2024, 27 percent of prime‑ageworkers and 36 percent of youthwere overeducated for their jobs, with 40 percent of tertiaryeducated workers in mid‑to‑low‑skilledroles, whereas under‑educationwasconcentrated inhigher‑skill sectors such as ICT, finance, and managerial and professionalroles.Field‑of‑study 3.The rest of the paper is organized in three sections:Section B assesses the scale andnature of skill mismatches in Georgia, Section C analyzes the impact of remittances and government B.The Size and Nature of Skill Mismatches 4.A large body of analytical work bythe World Bank, the EU, and academiaconsistentlyidentifies Georgiaas a high-mismatch economy.2Evidence from labor force surveys (2011-19)shows thatGeorgiahasone of the highest rates of over-education and over-qualification amongtransition and developing economies, pointing tostructuralrather than cyclicalimbalances. At thesame time, widespread overeducation coexists with skill gaps. Despite an oversupply of general 5.Thispaperextendsthe analysis tothepost-pandemicperiodto assess whetherskillmismatches persistand identifyindividuals andsectorsmost affected.In the absence of directskill measures, employees’ education, profession, and occupation are used as proxies for skillstaught, possessed, and required.Mismatch is assessedalong two dimensions: vertical (qualification) and current jobs.3The analysis draws primarily on Georgian labor force survey microdata for 2019-2