Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2023, published 112nd ILC session (2024)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Romania (Ratification: 1973)

The Committee notes with concern that the Government’s report has not been received. It is therefore bound to repeat its previous comments.

Repetition

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Employment trends and active labour market policies. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the overall employment rate for the active population (15–64 years) reached 66.0 per cent in the third quarter of 2020, showing an upward trend compared to 63.9 per cent in 2017. It also notes the persistently lower employment rates for women in 2017 (55.8 per cent for women compared to 71.8 per cent for men) and in the third quarter of 2020 (56.9 per cent for women compared to 74.9 per cent for men). The Committee notes that, according to ILOSTAT data, the overall unemployment rate in 2020 was 5 per cent (5.3 per cent for men and 4.7 per cent for women, respectively). The Government refers to the Human Capital Operational Program (HCOP) as an important tool for financing employment measures, structures in seven priority axes, including employment (axes 1, 2 and 3), social inclusion (axes 4 and 5), education (axis 6) and technical assistance (axis 7). The Government also indicates that Act No. 76/2002 on the unemployment insurance system and employment stimulation during the period 2016–18 was amended, with the aim of increasing employment opportunities for registered unemployed persons and jobseekers and stimulating employers to hire registered unemployed persons. The Committee notes that job subsides are provided to employers who offer employment opportunities to specific groups of workers, including new graduates, persons with disabilities, registered unemployed persons over the age of 45, long-term unemployed persons, young people in the NEET category (not in employment, education or training), youth at risk of social marginalization and unemployed single parents. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing updated detailed information on general employment trends, including statistical data disaggregated by sex and age. It further requests the Government to continue providing information on the impact of its employment policy measures in terms of the creation of productive employment and decent jobs, job creation, particularly for specific groups such as women, youth at risk of social marginalization, persons with disabilities, older workers and the long-term unemployed.

Youth employment. The Committee notes that the unemployment rate of youth (15–24 years) stood at 18.3 per cent in 2017, rising to 19.2 per cent in the third quarter of 2020. Moreover, according to the 2020 European Commission Country Report for Romania (SWD (2020) 522 final), in 2018 the percentage of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) was one of the highest in the European Union, with three times as many NEETs among the young rural resident population (15–24) compared to those living in urban areas. The Government indicates that, as part of its efforts to support the labour market integration of young persons, particularly those in the NEET category, the Ministry of Labour and Social Justice elaborated the Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan 2017–2020. The Government also reports that it approved a draft Youth Law on 5 July 2018 which was sent to Parliament. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing updated detailed information, including statistical data disaggregated by age, sex and rural/urban areas on the nature and impact of the measures taken to facilitate lasting employment opportunities for young people, especially those classified as NEETs. It also requests the Government to provide information on progress made regarding the adoption of the new Youth Law, and to provide a copy once adopted.

Roma minority. The Committee notes the Government’s reference to the Strategy for the Inclusion of Romanian citizens belonging to the Roma Minority 2012–2020 as well as to axes 4 and 5 of the HCOP, which focus on reducing social exclusion. The Government indicates that the National Agency for Employment is responsible for implementing measures taken to attain the employment objectives, based on annual employment programs. Measures taken include the provision of information on employment services in communities with large numbers of Roma, allocation of territorial budgets, job exchanges and development of collaboration with Roma representatives. The Committee notes that the Government exceeded its target of providing employment to 5,385 members of the Roma community in 2015, with 6,295 Roma being placed in employment; however, the targets set for 2016 and 2017 were not fully achieved. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide updated detailed information, including statistical data disaggregated by sex and age, on the nature and impact of the measures taken to promote access to lasting employment and decent work for members of the Roma community.

Article 3. Participation of the social partners in the formulation and implementation of policies. The Committee previously requested the Government to provide specific examples of how the social partners are effectively consulted and participate in decision making on the matters covered by the Convention. In this respect, the Committee notes the Government’s reference to the development of the Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan, indicating that the social partners were consulted during this process. The Government also indicates that social partners and non-governmental organizations play an important role in the implementation of various programmes and projects related to employment, promotion of youth-related initiatives, training ventures, job placement, apprenticeship and traineeship programmes. The Committee further notes that the National Employment Program, developed each year by the National Agency for Employment since 2002, is formulated on the basis of proposals from the county employment agencies and the Bucharest Municipality Agency, taking into account the economic and social situation at the territorial level and the strategic targets in the programmatic documents adopted at national level. The Government indicates that the National Employment Program targets specific groups that encounter difficulty in accessing the labour market, such as members of the Roma community, persons with disabilities, young persons covered by the child protection system, foreigners, refugees and beneficiaries of other forms of international protection, persons who have executed custodial sentences and victims of trafficking. The Committee requests the Government to provide updated information on the manner in which the social partners are effectively consulted and participate in the development of the National Employment Programme each year. It also requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken or envisaged to ensure that these consultations include representatives of other segments of the economically active population, including representatives of the Roma community, persons with disabilities, women and young persons, as well as of persons working in informal economy.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government.

The Committee expects that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the near future.