Estonia National Report

EU FPV Thematic Network: The Social Problem and Societal Problematisation of Men and Masculinities

ESTONIA NATIONAL REPORT ON STATISTICAL INFORMATION ON MEN’S PRACTICES WORKPACKAGE 2.

Voldemar Kolga

1. KEY POINTS

(i) Statistical time-series allow to analyze data in context of changing time and culture. It’s true in the case of post-socialist countries that were subjected to huge changes. It is important to find the point where crucial changes started. For instance, after crash of the Soviet Union all republics were formally in same departure point, however now it is obvious that Uzbekistan, Russia and Estonia, for instance, have passed the very different ways and now located in the different socio-cultural spaces.

(ii) In Estonia economical reforms started in 1992-1993 which led to structural changes, and rose especially men’s work mobility. However, all these inevitable economic changes (shock therapy called) caused/associated the decline of birth rates, expected life-age, and population, increase of divorces, criminality, drug consumption, etc. The fast economical changes have great social price in 1993 – 1995.

(iii) The changes had the greatest socio-psychological impact to the non-Estonian men who can’t speak Estonian and weren’t ready to accept idea of independent Estonia. However, now differences between Estonian and non-Estonian men have begin to diminish.

2. THE NATIONAL GENDER BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

Estonia national report is basically compiled on the base of the Statistical Office of Estonia (governmental institution) data and reports and also report issued by Fafo Institute for Applied Social Science (Norway) in cooperation with Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia, Statistical Office of Estonia and University of Tartu. Statistical Office of Estonia has issued 58 publications in last year (see catalogue of publications of 2000 year). Most publications are in two languages (in Estonian and English). Publications are available either in a printed form or on diskettes/CD-ROMs, which include longer time series (from 1970) and more detailed tables. . Statistical information is also available on the home page of the Statistical Office of Estonia on the Internet (http://www.stat.ee) .

Data seem to be quite reliable, however statistic about human beings is very poor if to compare with statistics on environment, finance, industry, fuel and energy, housing, trade, construction, etc. There are no straight chapters on home and work, social exclusion, violence, only public health is available.

The second source of this report is Fafo project on living conditions is conducted in the Baltic states and also in two Russian regions (St.. Petersburg and Kaliningrad. This collaborative survey which is called NORBALT has been carried in 1994 and 1999 by same institutions. Many social indicators are the same as those used in other Nordic and European surveys.

In 2000 population census was conducted, and result was very unexpected. In all statistical yearbooks Estonia’ s population should be 1 439 000 (as of 1 January 2000, calculated on the base of 1989 census data), however real figure was 1 376 743 in accordance with preliminary data. The real decrease of population has been more larger than it was expected/known before census. What wasn’t unexpected it was strong critiques of census survey made scientists, for instance well-known Estonian demographer K. Katus. Anyway, statistical calculations in future should be re-considered in this controversial context in future.

3. HOME AND WORK

The departure point of this country report is the description of Estonian population by its economic status. The population is basically divided into two major classes: economically active and non-active population. The relation between these two classes depends from two main factors: economical situation and population age structure. As we see (fig. 1) more than half population is economically inactive (713 000 persons are economically active and 390 000 inactive persons). From economically active population ca 10% is unemployed, and almost half (172 300) from economically inactive people are retired, pensioners. The relation of self-employed and employees is now ca 1 : 10. All these relationships may be valuable variables for international comparison if other countries present these data.

Figure 1. Population aged 15 – 74 by economic status, 3rd quarter, 2000,

Source: Estonian Statistics, 2000, monthly No 10 (106).

Population aged 15 – 74
1 104 000

economically active population economically inactive population

(labour force) 713.300 390.900

employed 621, 900 unemployed 91, 400 retired 172, 300

-working full-time 569,7 duration of unemployed studying 96,2

- working part-time 52, 2 0 – 6 months 38.9 children care 37, 8

underemployed 20,7 7 – 12 months 14.1 ill or disabled 53, 0

13 – 24 months 15.1 discouraged 24,6

more than 24 months 23, 3 other reasons 7, 0

employees self-employed

568, 400 53, 500

In the next table 1 are presented data on working-age population by sex and economic status during last 10 years. If 10 years ago unemployment was practically unknown in Estonia, then now ca 10% persons know it in practice. It revealed that men’s unemployment percentage is higher than women’s one (see table 2). We see also that figures of inactive population are growing, and employment is decreasing. It is clear that would cause a lot of social and psychological problems.

The growth of inactive population and relatively high rate (10%) unemployment are the important factors which influence the developments in Estonia.

Table 1.Working-age population by sex and economic status, 1990, 1995 – 1999Source: Statistical Yearbook of Estonia, 2000.

year

Labor force

Inactive

persons

Working age population

Total

Labor force partici-pation %

Employ-ment

rate %

Unemp-loyment

rate %

Total

Emp-loyed

Unemp-loyed

Males

1990

429.3

426.7

…..

93.5

522.7

82.1

81.6

0.6

1995

382.9

342.3

40.6

121.5

504.4

75.9

67.9

10.6

1996

375.8

335.4

40.4

125.1

500.9

75.0

67.0

10.7

1997

376.7

338.8

37.9

138.4

515.2

73.1

65.8

10.1

1998

370.7

330.7

40.0

144.7

515.4

71.9

64.2

10.8

Females

1990

402.5

399.7

2.8

177.0

579.5

69.5

69.0

0.7

1995

344.0

313.8

30.3

213.2

557.2

61.7

56.3

8.8

1996

341.8

310.2

31.6

211.4

553.2

61.8

56.1

9.2

1997

341.0

309.5

31.5

247.1

588.1

58.0

52.6

9.2

1998

339.7

309.5

30.2

247.6

587.4

57.8

52.7

8.9

There are going also structural changes of the economy in Estonia which are more hidden than unemployment rate. The main fact is that primary sector – agriculture, forestry fishing – is loosing its importance in the whole economy to compare with the tertiary sector (services). In 1993 the primary sector employed 17%, in 1998 only 9%; in 1993 the tertiary sector employed 50% persons, and in 1998 – 58% . As economists claim these structural changes are inevitable on the road of modernization of country, however the question is what is social price of these huge changes. Later we’ll see that price may be expressed by decease of birth rate and population totally, increase of homicide rate and divorces.

It seems that Estonia has passed the greater structural changes than Latvia, but is far from developed countries, for instance, in Finland only 7% in primary sector and 66% in tertiary sector (see table 2 where are presented data of countries participating in this men’s project). It means that structural changes have to continue in Estonia, and social and psychological stress would be accompanying factors of these developments.

Table 2.Employed persons by sector of economy, 1993 and 1998Source: Statistical Yearbook of Estonia, 2000

Country

Age limits

Primary sector agriculture, forestry, fishing

Secondary sector industry and construction

Tertiary sector service activities

/ /

1993

1998

1993

1998

1993

1998

Estonia

15 – 74

Latvia

15 +

Norway

16 – 74

Finland

15 – 74

Ireland

15 +

Italy

15 +

---

Germany

15 +

United Kingdom

16 +

Poland

15 +

---

Russia

15 – 72

If to look on the table 4, then it is obvious that namely men are subject of the structural changes of economy in Estonia. In 1990 we found in primary sector 26.5% men, but in 1998 more than twice less, 11.4%. And the same time the tertiary sector – service activities - is increasing its importance: ca 15% men work more than ten years ago.

What may the social and psychological meaning of this crucial change for men? Estonians have identified themselves as country-nation (maarahvas in Estonian language). Estonians still painfully react to reduction of agricultural production, and unemployment in villages.

Table 3. Unemployment rate %, urban vs rural

1995

1996

1997

1998

Urban, males

9.9

10.3

9.2

10.5

Rural, males

12.2

11.8

12.1

11.4

Urban, females

8.9

9.0

8.9

8.7

Rural, females

8.5

10.0

10.3

9.3

Men, especially rural men are the subjects of structural changes of economy during last ten years which appeared in the diminishing of the primary sector and increasing the tertiary sector in economy

More and more men are moving to the tertiary sector: young men are becoming successful sellers of cars, food, etc. Traditionally service activities were considered as women work, and lead to specific feminine traits and skills (emphatic, talkative, soft, etc.).

I suppose that it leads to re-formulation of masculinity which was connected with hard physical work. Men should develop so called feminine traits, to be pleasant sellers of goods. Men’s identity would be ambiguous and controversial, and it may cause psychological difficulties.

Table 4.Employed persons by sex and sector of economy, 1990, 1995 – 1998

Year

Primary sector %

Secondary sector %

Tertiary sector %

Males

1990

26.5

41.9

31.6

1995

12.8

41.0

46.1

1996

12.4

41.2

46.4

1997

12.0

41.8

46.2

1998

11.4

41.8

46.8

Females

1990

15.2

31.4

53.4

1995

8.0

26.4

65.6

1996

7.5

25.2

67.3

1997

6.5

24.2

69.2

1998

6.6

24.1

69.3

Table 5 shows that in Estonia the great economical reforms started really in 1993 – 1995 when society became mobile, 35% revealed occupational mobility . The other post-socialist countries, for instance Poland, have already passed the first wave of reforms (quite immobile), however Russia probably started with economic reforms later. As we see Russia was quite immobile in early 90s, and probably Russia became mobile in late 90s.

It means that it is not very correct to consider all post-socialist countries in similar way, same vein or even identical. So, Poland, Estonia and Russia are in the different points of development, and which may cause the different social problem of men in these countries.

Table 5.

Occupational mobility of 25 – 69 years old men and women between 1988 and 1993 in selected post-socialist countries, %

Sources: ELFS; Lippe & Fodor, 1998.

Country

/ Immobile / Upward mobility / Downward
Mobility

Poland, all

Men
Women / 80
76
84 / 11
13
8 / 9
10
8
Russia, all
Men

Women

/ 87
87
86 / 6
6
6 / 7
7
8
Estonia, 1, all
Men
Women / 78
79
77 / 11
12
10 / 11
9
13

Estonia 2, all

Men

Women

/ 65
66
64 / 14
15
13 / 21
19
23

Estonia data 1 reflect mobility between 1989 and 1993, and Estonia data 2 reflect mobility between 1989 and 1995.

The other important variable of work and home is relation of women’s salary to men’s ones. As we see relation men’s wages to women’s ones hasn’t changed during last years: Estonian men earn constantly ca 25% more than women. It is approximately same % as in the other countries, exception is Finland where women salaries are quite close to men ones. It is bad that improvement doesn’t occurred during last years in Estonia. Exceptionally great difference in salaries is among service workers, shop and market sales workers.

It is also known Estonians psychological reaction to this inequality of salaries. Opinions are divided quite close to the normal distribution of data: some people complain, others not differences in men’s and women’s salaries in Estonia (see table 2 in Appendix).

Table 6.Gross hourly wages of women as a % of gross hourly wages of men in selected Western European countries and Estonia, 1995 Sources: Estonian Statistical Office (Hourly wages 1995); Hourly Wages and Salaries, October 1999; and Statistics in Focus, 1999.

Country

All

Italy

76.5

73.8

83.7

82.0

78.8

81.1

76.7

74.9

83.9

Germany

76.9

68.7

80.4

73.2

79.7

69.1

75.7

78.8

81.4

Finland

81.6

81.4

84.0

78.2

93.7