Darbinieku profesionālā attīstība un tās loma mūsdienu pasaules valstu ekonomiskajā veiktspējā

Within this study, employeesí professional development is conceptually understood as an integral part of lifelong learning that underlies a learning society. The concepts of lifelong learning, a learning society and even a learning economy are very actively used in the international research space and theoretically are substantiated as the prerequisites for the competitiveness
and economic performance of countries in the modern world. Despite this, Latvia (like most countries with low economic performance) is still not a learning society in practice, especially against the background of the European Unionís countries. In this regard, there was a need for empirical evidence of the role of employeesí professional development in economic performance of countries in the modern world (which is both the aim and the novelty of this study). Such
empirical evidence is needed in order to obtain a scientific basis for the sustainable management of employeesí professional development in the framework of the economic paradigm. The source of empirical information for this study is data for 2018ñ2020 from reports on the Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) for more than 100 countries around the world (including all EU countries). The authors use the Global Talent Competitiveness Index (more precisely,one of its sub-indices) as an empirical tool for assessing lifelong learning and employeesí professional development of countries in the modern world for three years. In turn, to empirically measure the economic performance of countries in the modern world, the indicator of GDP per
capita for the current year is used. To achieve the goal of this study, the authors applied four methods of quantitative data analysis: correlation analysis, regression analysis, comparison of means, and discriminant analysis. As a result of an empirical study, the authors managed to prove that the level of development of lifelong learning in general and employeesí professional
development in particular are not only factors, but also indicators of the economic performance of countries in the modern world. This simultaneity of roles takes place because the implementation of lifelong learning and employeesí professional development in themselves requires
considerable investment. However, with effective sustainable management of employeesí professional development and their self-motivation, it is possible to create a learning society not only based on material investment, but also through the development of a learning culture.