Observation (CEACR) - adoptée 1994, publiée 81ème session CIT (1994)

Convention (n° 122) sur la politique de l'emploi, 1964 - Algérie (Ratification: 1969)

1. The Committee notes the Government's report for the period ending June 1992 and welcomes the detailed information contained in the report in reply to its previous comments. According to the statistics published by the ILO, which confirm those contained in the report, it notes that the unemployment rate, which was 17 per cent in 1989, rose to 19.7 per cent in 1990 and to 21.1 per cent in 1991. The results of the 1990 labour force survey point to characteristics of unemployment and its distribution which are a cause of concern: 85 per cent of the unemployed appear to be under 30 years of age and the average period of unemployment is two years. Furthermore, a significant and growing proportion of the unemployed have middle and secondary teaching diplomas. The Committee notes that data on employment by region should soon be available. It requests the Government to supply information which is as detailed as possible in its next report on the situation and trends of the active population, employment, underemployment and unemployment.

2. The Government states that employment problems are central to the concerns of the public authorities and that the employment policy which is pursued forms part of the reforms undertaken since 1988 to promote renewed growth in economic activity and achieve a lasting improvement in the employment situation. Employment promotion is encouraged by means of measures to improve the general functioning of the economy, such as the introduction of independence for enterprises, their management according to market forces and the strengthening of social dialogue, as well as specific measures to promote investment and the creation of cooperatives, to reduce the cost of labour through tax and other financial incentives for recruitment and to increase the facilities provided to enterprises and flexible forms of employment.

3. The Committee notes the information concerning the reorganization and development of public employment services. It notes that it was envisaged to double the number of local employment agencies over a five-year period. Furthermore, the regional integration of the administrative services covering employment and vocational training should improve the manner in which training is adapted to labour market needs. The Committee regrets in this respect that the report due on the application of the Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88), has not been received (see the comments under that Convention). With regard to the worrying level of unemployment among young persons, the Committee notes in particular the measures intended to encourage the vocational integration of young persons through the creation of a fund to assist in the employment of young persons (FAEJ), a programme to create jobs which are of public utility and to extend training through apprenticeship. According to the evaluation undertaken on 30 June 1992, the number of young persons who have benefited from vocational integration, temporary employment and training measures over a two-year period amounts to 250,000. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply information on the action taken as a result of the various proposals and recommendations which were made in September 1992 to develop vocational integration measures. The Committee also notes that the promotion of women's participation in economic activity is one of the development objectives, but that it is encountering constraints of a social and economic nature.

4. The report also refers to various employment measures planned by the Government in September 1992. The Committee notes that the planned measures include the commencement of major works, support for the creation of enterprises by young persons and the introduction of social protection measures against unemployment. It requests the Government to supply with its next report any evaluation which is available on the impact on employment of the various measure which have been taken. In more general terms, it would be grateful if the Government would describe the overall and sectoral employment objectives of development plans and programmes which are being implemented, or are under preparation, as well as the procedures adopted to ensure that the effects on employment of measures taken to promote economic development or other economic and social objectives receive due consideration (Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention). With reference, finally, to Article 3 of the Convention, in respect of which the report does not supply any new information, the Committee requests the Government to indicate in its next report the procedures by which the representatives of the persons affected by the measures to be taken are consulted concerning employment policies, both with regard to consultations with the representatives of employers' and workers' organizations and with representatives of other sectors of the economically active population, such as those working in the rural sector and the informal sector. The Committee hopes that the Government will soon be in a position to report an improvement in the employment situation.