Includes bibliographical references.

Machine generated contents note: I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY1 -- A. Introduction-- B. An Overview: 1990-1996 1 -- C. Household Welfare and Poverty, 1996 2 -- D. The Labor Market3 -- E. Public Services: Developing Human Capital and Poverty -- Alleviation4 -- F. The Challenges Ahead6 -- II. HOUSEHOLD WELFARE IN ALBANIA 19968 -- A. Socio-Economic Characteristics8 -- B. Income, Consumption, Amenities, and Assets10 -- C. A Profile of the Poor 15 -- mI. THE LABOR MARKET21 -- A. The Labor Force21 -- B. Labor Market Flexibility31 -- C. The Emerging Labor Market32 -- IV. PUBLIC PROGRAMS IN RURAL ALBANIA. 35 -- A. Education35 -- B. Public Transfers 42 -- V. REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY48 -- STATISTICAL ANNEX49 -- Index of Tables and Figures -- Tables -- Table 2. 1: Incidence of Acute and Chronic Illness by Age Group and Location 9 -- Table 2. 2: Physical Characteristics of Households. 13 -- Table 3. 1: Duration of unemployment for the unemployed 25 -- Table 3. 2: Average Land Area and Value of Land by Region26 -- Table 4. 1: Gross Enrollment Rates by Educational Level, Gender and Expenditure Quintile -- G roup38 -- Table 4. 2: Gross Enrollment Rates by Urban/Rural Sector, Gender and Expenditure Quintile -- Group39 -- Table 4. 3: Per Capita and Total Expenditure (lek) on Basic, Secondary and Tertiary Education, -- Albania 199640 -- Table 4. 4: Ndihme Social Assistance: Households Receiving Benefits44 -- Table 4. 5: Old Age Pensions: Households Receiving Benefits 46 -- Figures -- Figure 2. 1: Size Composition of Households by Level of Consumption 8 -- Figure 2. 2: The Incidence of Chronic and Acute Illness by Quintile10 -- Figure 2. 3: The Distribution of Consumption11 -- Figure 2. 4: Mean Percentage Allocation of Household Consumption Items12 -- Figure 2. 5: Distribution of Consumption in Urban and Rural Areas 12 -- Figure 2. 6: Ratio of Consumption of Poorest to Richest Quintiles13 -- Figure 2. 7: Distribution of Household Physical Characteristics by Quintile14 -- Figure 2. 8: Value of Total Land Owned by Employment Status of Household Head14 -- Figure 2. 9: Incidence of Poverty by Age of Household Head15 -- Figure 2. 10: Distribution of Per Capita Consumption by Region16 -- Figure 2. 11: Poverty Rate by Household Size17 -- Figure 2. 12: Incidence of Poverty by Number of Children in Household18 -- Figure 2. 13: Incidence of Poverty by the Education Status of the Household Head18 -- Figure 2. 14: Incidence of Poverty by the Employment Status of the Household Head19 -- Figure 3. 1: Composition of the Employed, Albania (less Tirana) 1996 23 -- Figure 3. 2: Characteristics of the Unemployed23 -- Figure 3. 3: The Composition of Unemployed By Work Experience 24 -- Figure 3. 4: Characteristics of those in Agriculture-Self Employment 27 -- Figure 3. 5: Characteristics of Wage Employed in the Public and Private Sectors28 -- Figure 3. 6: Wage Distribution in the Public and Private Sectors29 -- Figure 3. 7: Those Hired Before and After the Election 32 -- Figure 3. 8: The Characteristics of Workers Hired Before and After the Election33 -- Figure 3. 9: Median Wages of those Hired Before and After the Election34 -- Figure 4. 1: Improvements in the Education Status of Successive Cohorts 36 -- Figure 4. 2: Net, Gross and Age Specific Enrollment Rates By Level of Education38 -- Figure 4. 3: Public Transfers in Albania as Percent of Total Public Transfers43.