Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2021, published 110th ILC session (2022)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Republic of Moldova (Ratification: 1996)

The Committee notes the report of the Government received in 2019, as well as additional information received in 2020.

COVID-19 pandemic. Socio-economic impact. Response and recovery measures. The Committee notes the measures taken by the Government to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, including granting a 100 per cent reimbursement of payroll taxes to businesses required to close down due to force majeure measures and a 60 per cent reimbursement for other non-operational businesses, the introduction of expanded unemployment benefits for both insured and uninsured persons and the payment in full of workers’ salaries in non-operational public units. The Committee invites the Government to provide updated information in its next report on the impact of response and recovery measures taken with a view to implementing the objectives of the Convention.

Articles 1 through 3 of the Convention. Implementation of an active employment policy. Consultation of the social partners. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to provide information on the active employment measures adopted and implemented, and their impact in terms of full, productive and sustainable employment. In its response, the Government reports on the measures taken in 2018–19 by the National Employment Agency (NEA) and its territorial employment subdivisions (TES), including vocational training, job fairs, and career guidance services. The Committee welcomes the adoption of the National Employment Strategy (NES) 2017–21 and its National Action Plan 2018 (NAP 2018). The main objectives of the NEA Action Plan 2018 include raising awareness concerning the services and employment measures provided by the NEA, improving the quality and accessibility of these services, increasing the number of jobseekers placed in employment by the NEA, improving collaboration with employers, and carrying out a planned reform of the employment system. In the context of this reform, the NEA now implements a new portfolio of active labour market measures provided for under the Promotion of Employment and Unemployment Insurance Act (No. 105/2018). The Committee also notes the information provided by the Government in its report on the application of the Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88), in which it indicates that the Tripartite Council of the NEA, which has an advisory role, ensures social dialogue at the national level in implementing the national employment policy, while tripartite councils advise the TES throughout the country. The Government refers to 80 meetings of the TES advisory councils held to examine local labour market issues, as well as to new partnerships created between the NEA and various stakeholders in 2018. In addition, in response to its previous comments requesting statistical information on employment trends, the Committee notes with interest the detailed statistics provided by the Government on employment, unemployment and underemployment trends during 2017–19. The Committee notes that the overall unemployment rate in the country fell from 4 per cent in 2017 to 3 per cent in 2018, before increasing to 5.1 per cent in 2019. It further notes that the overall employment rate stood at 40.1 per cent in 2019, with a markedly higher employment rate for men than for women (44.2 per cent compared to 36.5, respectively). In 2020, according to the Moldovan Statistical database, the overall employment rate fell to 38.8 per cent (43.1 per cent for men and 35 per cent for women). The overall unemployment rate in 2020 fell to 3.8 per cent, with a slightly higher unemployment rate for men than for women (4.3 per cent and 3.2 per cent, respectively). The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed updated information on the results achieved through the implementation of the NES 2017–21, including through the active labour market measures undertaken pursuant to Act No. 105/2018. The Committee also invites the Government to include information on the challenges encountered and the lessons learned, as well as to continue to provide statistical information on employment, unemployment and underemployment trends, disaggregated by age, sex and region. The Committee further requests the Government to provide information on the development, implementation, monitoring and review of the new national employment policy after the expiry of the NES 2017–21, and on the manner in which consultation with the social partners and their participation in this process is ensured.

Young persons, women and migrants. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government on the impact of labour market measures aimed at meeting the employment needs of young persons, women and persons with a migration background. The Government reports on measures taken by the NEA and the TES to promote the employment of young persons in 2018, including the organisation of job fairs and campaigns to raise awareness of TES services available to young jobseekers. It adds that the unemployment rate for young persons between the ages of 15-24 is double that of the overall unemployment rate at country level (10.4 per cent compared to 5.1 per cent). The Government also reports that, in 2019, the share of youth not in employment, education or training (NEET) in 2019 constituted 19.5 per cent of the total population of young people aged 15-24, 27.4 per cent of those aged 15–29, and 30.8 per cent of those aged 15-34, with a substantially higher proportion of women than men in this category (40.3 per cent compared to men at 21.2 per cent). With respect to the employment of women, the Committee notes that, in its 2017 comments, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights expressed concern at the persistent gender role stereotypes and care responsibilities assigned predominantly to women in the Republic of Moldova, which prevent them from pursuing their professional careers, as well as the very low representation of women in decision-making positions in the public and private sectors (document E/C.12/MDA/CO/3, 19 October 2017, paragraph 24). In this context, the Committee observes that, according to 2020 data from the ILOSTAT database, the labour force participation rate continues to be lower for women than for men (36.1 per cent and 45.1 per cent, respectively). With regard to equality of opportunity and treatment between men and women the Committee also refers to its 2020 comments under the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111), concerning occupational segregation, in which the Committee observed that, in its reports to CEDAW, the Government indicated that masculinization and feminisation of professions remains a challenge in both the educational system and the labour market, with women being under-represented in areas as information technologies, construction, industry and agriculture (CEDAW/C/MDA/6, 24 January 2019, paragraph 183). The Government reported to the CEDAW Committee that it has taken measures to combat stereotyped visions of male and female occupations, including through the “GirlsGoIT” project, which aims to provide young girls, including from rural areas, better employment opportunities in the STEM sector (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) (CEDAW/C/MDA RQ/6, 10 December 2019, paragraphs 71, 100). In addition, the Committee notes the information provided by the Government concerning measures taken to support the social and economic reintegration of migrant workers from the Republic of Moldova returning from employment abroad. The Committee notes in this regard that one of the main objectives of the NEA’s Action Plan 2018 is to promote the labour market integration of migrant workers, including those returning from abroad. The Government indicates that, in 2018, 1,144 returning migrants were registered at the territorial employment agencies, of which 30 per cent were women. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information, including updated statistical information, disaggregated by age and sex, on the impact of labour market measures aimed at meeting the employment needs of young persons, women and workers with a migration background, including workers returning from abroad. In addition, the Committee requests the Government to provide information with respect to measures taken or envisaged to combat stereotypes leading to gender-based occupational segregation, such as the GirlsGoIT project, including detailed updated information concerning the impact of such measures.

Persons with disabilities. With respect to the impact of measures taken to promote the employment of persons with disabilities in the open labour market, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that, in 2018, 623 persons with disabilities were registered as unemployed with the NEA, out of which 275 were placed into employment. The Government also indicates that, in 2018, the TES concluded contracts for public works with some 1,900 unemployed people, of which three per cent were persons with disabilities. The Government provides information concerning other services provided by the NEA to persons with disabilities in 2018, including professional rehabilitation services for unemployed persons with locomotor disabilities and the launch of the CASPER platform, an electronic career guidance tool. The Committee notes, however, the concerns expressed by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in its concluding observations on the initial report of the Republic of Moldova regarding significant unemployment and economic inactivity rates among persons with disabilities, observing that national employment strategies and relevant agencies do not adequately facilitate and promote the employment of persons with disabilities or implement the minimum five per cent mandatory employment quota for persons with disabilities. In addition, it expressed concern that the employment of persons with disabilities is generally oriented towards segregated workplaces (CRPD/C/MDA/CO/1, 18 May 2017, paragraph 48). The Committee requests the Government to provide updated detailed information on the measures taken to promote the employment of persons with disabilities on the open labour market, including statistical data on the impact of such measures.