Income Differentiation as a Factor of Unsustainability in Forestry

Abstract

Environmental policy is a set of objectives put in place for the protection of natural resources including water, air, soil, food, and other renewable resources. In addition, it has a considerable impact on the labor market and the income of employees in the environmental and forestry sectors. Environmental policy both directly and indirectly creates new jobs, the so-called green jobs. These jobs are designed to be long-term and sustainable, working towards both environmental and socio-economic stability. The aim of the research was to determine if there was a difference in income between the forestry and the environmental policy sectors. The primary objective of this paper was to propose ideas and instruments for strengthening the income of employees in both sectors to the creators of the new State Environmental Policy. This objective was met through appropriate research methods, including the field survey technique. In terms of statistics, we used descriptive characteristics and tested the hypothesis using a T-test. The data from 70 respondents were collected from January 2019 to December 2019. Half of the respondents were from the forestry sector, and the other half worked in environmental protection. Their total income was compared by using two selective T-tests, and the results showed a strong discrepancy. The analysis indicated that the average incomes in forestry are significantly lower than incomes in the environmental protection sector (in the Czech Republic). The statistically higher income of environmental workers reflects that the State Environmental Policy is effective, which improves the position of employees in the labor market. The forestry sector deserves similar concentrated state assistance, and therefore we recommend that the new State Environmental Policy in the Czech Republic also addresses the problem of low income in forestry.