Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2020, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88) - Lithuania (Ratification: 1994)

Articles 1, 7 and 9 of the Convention. Contribution of the employment service to employment promotion. Specific groups. Employment service staff. The Government reports that amendments introduced in 2018 to the Law on Employment and related legislation restructured the former public employment service provider – the Lithuanian Labour Exchange – together with its territorial units, into a single legal entity: the Lithuanian Employment Services. It indicates that the restructuring was carried out to make services more responsive to socio-economic changes and improve the quality of services for both jobseekers and employers. In this context, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that persons excluded from the labour market need not only active labour market programmes, but also measures to remove barriers to social inclusion and provide personalized complex social services. The Government adds that the reorganization was impacted by the European network of public employment services’ benchmarking initiative and that feedback from external assessments was taken into account in planning and implementing the changes. The main changes include: a reduced number of separate legal entities (from 11 to one); an increase in the number of client service divisions to 70; consolidation of human resources leading to a 13 per cent increase in the number of employees providing direct services to clients; and the provision of specialized consultants for specific groups, such as persons with disabilities, soldiers and the long-term unemployed. The Committee further notes the detailed information provided by the Government concerning the labour market assessments and forecasts, as well as employment support services provided by the Lithuanian Employment Services.

In response to the Committee’s 2015 direct request, the Government reports that the number of unemployed persons registered with the public employment services stood at 263,569 in 2014, decreasing to 253,697 in 2018. It indicates that labour demand remains high, with the number of job vacancies notified increasing from 226,624 in 2014 to 228,404 in 2018. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the number of employed persons has been decreasing due to labour shortages in certain professions. The number of employed persons among registered jobseekers has been decreasing since 2015, from 69.7 per cent of registered jobseekers in 2015 to 66.5 per cent in 2018. The number of participants benefitting from active labour market policy measures has also declined, from 59,156 in 2014 to 41,008 in 2018. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide updated detailed information, including statistical data disaggregated by age and sex, on the nature and impact of the labour market measures implemented by the Lithuanian Employment Services, particularly on their contribution to the effective promotion of full, productive and freely chosen employment in the country. It further requests the Government to provide detailed information on the nature and impact of measures taken by the Lithuanian Employment Service to remove barriers to social inclusion and provide personalized social services for jobseekers who face particular difficulties in accessing the labour market. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to provide specialized training to employment service officials to enable them to provide services tailored to the concerns of specific groups, such as persons with disabilities, soldiers and the long-term unemployed, among others.

Article 3 of the Convention. Development of employment offices throughout the territory. Youth Job Centres. The Committee notes that, with the creation of the Lithuanian Employment Services in 2018, the number of client service divisions was increased and emphasis has been placed on the role of regional offices instead of only on offices in the largest cities. It further notes the detailed information on Youth Job Centres, provided by the Government in response to the Committee’s previous comments. The Government indicates that the youth employment network has expanded to 45 Youth Job Centres covering almost all municipalities. The Centres provide counselling and support to young people under the age of 29 through numerous activities, such as provision of individual tailored support, group counselling, informative career and education events, cooperation with education providers and employers, job search assistance and business start-up support. The Youth Job Centres work in cooperation with a range of municipal, non-governmental and private stakeholders, including local employers, operating in an informal environment in order to attract more young people. The Government reports that, in 2018, 79,100 jobseekers received information and counselling services from the Youth Job Centres, and an additional 35,100 received such services in the first half of 2019. The Centres provided 24,000 individual consultations on job vacancies, studies and career choices in 2018, and an additional 11,700 in the first half of 2019. In addition, 32,400 young people were consulted by phone, email or internet in 2018, and 8,500 in the first half of 2019. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide updated detailed information on the functioning of the Youth Job Centres, including statistical data disaggregated by age and sex. The Committee further requests the Government to provide updated detailed information on the nature and impact of the services provided, particularly on their contribution to young people’s access to decent work and sustainable employment.

Article 4. Participation of the social partners. The Committee notes with interest that the 2018 amendments to the Law on Employment led to the creation of a new form of social cooperation under the Lithuanian Employment Services: the Employment Service Council. The Government reports that the Council is composed of nine members (three members from trade unions, three members from employers’ organizations and three members from the Government). The Council’s objective is to consider and submit proposals for: setting priority guidelines for the employment service; drafting employment support programmes; and developing and adopting employment support measures, as well as measures to optimise the efficiency of the service. Meetings of the Tripartite Council are held at least every six months or more often, if necessary, and its decisions are advisory. The Committee further notes the detailed information provided by the Government on the activities of the Tripartite Council, particularly with regard to the concrete measures and policies discussed, including the efficiency of employment promotion programmes offered by municipalities in 2018 and 2019, as well as the introduction of employment promotion programmes and motivation services for unemployed persons and social beneficiaries in six municipalities. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide updated information on the functioning and concrete activities of the Employment Service, as well as on the impact of the Council’s activities in giving effect to the provisions of the Convention.