MACROECONOMIC APPROACH TO OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH IN NORTH MACEDONIA AND NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES

Abstract

Occupational safety and health are a significant factor for sustainable economic development, labor productivity and protection of human capital. Occupational injuries and diseases create not only health and social consequences, but also a significant economic burden through direct and indirect costs that affect national economies. Hence, occupational safety is increasingly considered as an integral part of macroeconomic policies and strategies for sustainable development.
The aim of this paper is to analyze the macroeconomic approach to occupational safety and health through a comparative analysis of national policies, institutional frameworks and statistical indicators of occupational injuries in North Macedonia, Serbia, Greece and Bulgaria. The research aims to determine whether differences in the strategic orientations and institutional set-up of the countries are associated with different outcomes in terms of workplace safety. The research has a cross-sectional, comparative and descriptive-analytical design and is based on the analysis of secondary data. A document analysis and comparative method were used, analyzing national strategies, legislation and official statistical reports for 2023 and 2024 as the latest available period. The data were processed with descriptive statistics by calculating the rates of serious and fatal injuries per 100,000 employees.
The results show that there are differences between the analyzed countries in terms of the number and rates of work-related injuries. The highest rate of serious injuries was registered in Serbia (152.5 per 100,000 employees), while the lowest in Bulgaria (77.9). North Macedonia recorded a rate of 105.8, and Greece 99.5 per 100,000 employees. In terms of fatal injuries, the highest rate was recorded in Bulgaria (3.19), followed by Serbia (1.60) and Greece (0.79), while in North Macedonia no fatal injuries were recorded in the analyzed period. Although national data on economic costs are not available, international estimates indicate that work-related injuries can cause economic losses of up to 3.3% of gross domestic product annually. The comparative analysis of the strategic documents shows that all countries recognize occupational safety and health as an important economic factor, but there are differences in the degree of integration of OSH into national economic policies and the institutional capacity for their implementation. The Member States of the European Union demonstrate a more integrated approach, while North Macedonia and Serbia are focused on institutional strengthening and harmonization with European standards.
In conclusion, occupational safety and health represent an important macroeconomic category that affects productivity, public spending and the sustainability of the labor market. The results indicate the need for further strengthening of preventive policies, improvement of recording systems and integration of economic evaluation into national occupational safety policies.