Social Costs of Transformation to a Market Economy in Post-Socialist Countries : The Case of Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary

This book deals primarily with social costs of transformation to a market economy in Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The transformation provisions have negatively affected the well-being of the population. They brought about unemployment, a phenomenon which did not exist in the previous, communist system, increased income inequities, reduced social programmes and expanded poverty. All these phenomena are examined in this book. In addition, the book discusses the strategy of transformation, privatisation and the economic performance of the three countries.