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Albania

Overview of national employment policies

Has national employment policy
Yes
Adoption of national employment policies
1ST revision in 2014
Is the NEP under revision?
Yes

Additional information:
The National Employment and Skills Strategy 2014-2020 has been extended. The Employment and Skills Strategy 2019-2022 Vision remains the same as the strategy that was implemented during 2014-2018 and builds upon the latter. It preserves the same vision and the same strategic priorities.

Dialogue and stakeholders in the formulation process

National
Ministry in charge of economy/planning/finance
Yes
Ministry in charge of employment
Yes
Sectoral ministries
Yes
Trade unions
Yes
children
-
UN agencies
Yes
Other
Yes
text
Other: other development partners operating in the country as the EU, GIZ, Swiss Contact, Italian Cooperation, and also the European Training Foundation. More information: TVET providers (vocational schools and vocational training centres) as well as the national public institutions in charge of employment services and TVET provision have participated in the national dialogue/consultation.
Civil society groups, such as women or youth associations
Yes
Employers’ organisations
Yes
ILO
Yes
Regional
Ministry in charge of employment
Yes
Trade unions
Yes
children
-
Employers’ organisations
Yes
Local
No
N.A.
-

Coordinating actor in formulating the employment policy

Ministry in charge of employment/labour
Yes
Ministry in charge of economy/finance/planning
-
Sectoral ministry
-
Other
-
N.A.
-

Employment policy goals

Economic growth
-
Decent work
-
Employment as central to development strategy
-
Employment creation /promotion
Yes
Ensure equal opportunities / prevent discrimination in employment
-
Freely chosen employment
-
Full employment
-
Poverty reduction
-
Productive employment
-
Protection of workers' rights
-
Reduce unemployment
-
Reduce underemployment
-
Social inclusion
-
Environment/green jobs
-
Other
Yes
N.A.
-

Additional information:
The overall goal of the Strategy is to promote quality jobs and skills opportunities for all Albanian women and men throughout their lifecycle.

Strategic objectives

Strategic objectives
The Employment and Skills Strategy centres on four strategic priorities, as follows: A. Foster decent job opportunities through effective labour market policies B. Offer quality vocational education and training to youth and adults C. Promote social inclusion and territorial cohesion D. Strengthen the governance of the labour market and qualification systems.

Employment targets

Employment opportunities
Yes
Adequate earnings and productive work
Yes
Decent hours
-
Work that should be abolished
-
Equal opportunity and treatment in employment
Yes
Social security
Yes
Social dialogue - Workers' and employers' representation
-
Other
Yes

Additional information:
- to create 300 000 new jobs for women and men in the manufacturing industry (52 000), maritime industries (15 000), agriculture and livestock activities (155 000), tourism industry (11 000), information technology (4 000), etc. It is predicted that a considerable number of employment opportunities will be created through the reformation of the current economic assistance programme (62 000). - to increase employment to population ratio to 50.0 per cent (from 35.0% in 2012), especially in priority economic sectors (to reach 50.0% in industry, 18% in agriculture, and 32% in services); to reducing the share of informal employment in non-agriculture sectors to 30 per cent by 2020 (from around 40% in 2012); reducing the unemployment rate to 15.0 per cent from 26.6 per cent in 2012, not including the subsistent food producers; reducing the share of working poor and low-paid workers from 59.0 per cent in 2012 to 50.0 per cent in 2020; and reducing the youth unemployment rate to 30 per cent, from the current 40.3 per cent. - to raise the share of unemployed women and men benefiting from employment programmes to 10 per cent; to increase the proportion of active labour market programmes beneficiaries employed after participation to 55 per cent, out of which 75 per cent to be women; and increase the amount of funds invested in active labour market policies to 0.032 per cent of GDP. - to increase the share of female and male students attending VET programmes to 25 per cent to increase the employment share of vocational education graduates to 40 per cent, out of which 25 per cent are females; to increase the share of the adult population participating in lifelong learning to 4 per cent; to increase the employment rate of participants in short vocational training courses to 55 per cent, out of which 75 per cent are females; increase the annual share of PWD VET students by 1 p.p. This will be attained by increasing the vocational education and training investment by 30 per cent by 2020. - the decrease in the long term unemployment rate for women to 61.0 per cent and for men to 59.0 per cent of total unemployment; the decrease in the youth unemployment rate (15-24 years old) for young females from 33.8 per cent to 25.0 per cent and for young males from 43.6 per cent to 35.0 per cent; the reduction of the gender wage gap in 4 per cent point; raise the share of social assistance beneficiaries referred to employment promotion programmes to 10 per cent of total participants; increase the annual number of women and men covered by social and health insurance by 1 per cent point; and lower the urban rural employment divide across regions to 1:2. - to achieve at least 80 per cent of the targets established by the Action Plan of the Employment and Skills Strategy; to have 75 per cent of the staff of MoSWY working on core issues of Employment and VET policies. For more detailed information, please see Table 21: Targets of the Employment and Skills Strategy 2014-2020, p. 84-85.

Action plan for implementation

National action plan
Yes
Subnational action plan
-

Additional information:
The action plan of the National Employment and Skills Strategy 2014-2020 (NESS) is part of the Strategy, in Annex 2.

Coordination framework

NEP coordination framework?
Yes

Additional information:
A number of Integrated Planning Management Groups (IPMGs) have been established to steer and monitor the implementation of specific sectors’ strategies and their action plans. The IPMG for Employment and Social Protection is co-chaired by the respective deputy ministers and is operational. It regularly convenes on biannual basis to present and discuss the findings and recommendations of the mid-year reviews and annual reports regarding the NESS implementation.

Monitoring indicators

Employment opportunities
Yes
Adequate earnings and productive work
Yes
Decent hours
-
Work that should be abolished
-
Equal opportunity and treatment in employment
Yes
Social security
Yes
Social dialogue - Workers' and employers' representation
-
Other
Yes

Additional information:
- Incidence of long-term unemployment. - Employment rate of vocational education graduates. - Share of employment programme beneficiaries employed after participation. - Share of GDP invested in ALMPs. - Employment-to-population ratio. - Labour force participation rate. - Unemployment rate. - Youth unemployment rate (15-24), by sex. - Youth neither in employment nor education or training. - Work force by main economic sectors. - Share of working poor/low wage workers. - Gender gap in employment. - Share of social assistance beneficiaries referred to ALMPs. - Registered unemployed benefitting from basic employment services. - Share of female and male agricultural family workers under social, health and pension insurance. - Share of individuals (25-64yrs) participating in lifelong learning. - Public investment in vocational education and training. - Share of female and male students attending vocational education and training. - Share of female students in vocational education and training programmes. - Registered unemployed benefitting from employment promotion programmes. - Share of informal employment in non-agriculture sectors. - Creation of new jobs for women and men in the manufacturing industry, maritime industries, agriculture and livestock activities, tourism industry, information technology, etc. - Long term unemployment for women, for men. - Annual number of women and men covered by social and health insurance by per cent point. - Annual share of PWD VET students. - Employment rate of short training courses participants, out of which per cent are females. - Women and men in employment programmes. - Women benefit out of per cent employed after active labour market programmes. - Investment for the active labour market programmes. - Staff of MoSWY working for Strategy reforms. - Targets established by the Action Plan of the Strategy achieved. For more information, please see Table 21: Targets of the Employment and Skills Strategy 2014-2020, p. 84-85 and Annex 2: Action Plan and Indicators for the National Employment and Skills Strategy 2014-2020 – Albania, p. 96-168.

Target groups

Youth
Yes
Women
Yes
Informal workers
-
Rural workers
Yes
Older persons
-
People with disabilities
Yes
Migrants workers
Yes
Other
Yes
N.A.
-
No target group
-

Additional information:
Other: Minority groups (for example marginalised and disadvantaged women and men, including Roma).