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The Committee notes the Government’s report received in September 2008 which mirrors the information already provided in its report for the period ending in June 2006. It also notes the information concerning the measures taken to implement the Job Creation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Recommendation, 1998 (No. 189), and the Promotion of Cooperatives Recommendation, 2002 (No. 193), provided by the Government in its replies to the questionnaire for the General Survey on employment. The Committee also refers to its 2009 observation on the application of the Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142).

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Employment trends. The Government indicates that the employment rate was 63.6 per cent in 2006, increasing to 64.9 per cent in 2007, and that the unemployment rate, harmonized amongst 15–74 year-olds, was 5.6 per cent in 2006, falling to 4.3 per cent in 2007. The Government refers to the National Reform Programme and the working groups established to monitor and evaluate its implementation under the National Lisbon Strategy. The Committee notes the Council of the European Union’s March 2009 analysis set forth in its country-specific recommendations for Lithuania, which establishes that, in 2008, employment growth turned negative and unemployment was expected to increase to over 5 per cent. Large-scale employee dismissals were on the increase, affecting in particular the lower skilled, low-qualified, young persons, rural residents and older workers. Finally, the analysis predicts that regional differences in unemployment may become more pronounced. The Committee notes the deterioration that has taken place in the employment situation since its last comments. It understands that the Government intends to support full employment in the context of the European Lisbon Strategy for jobs and growth. The Committee requests the Government to specify in its next report how, pursuant to Article 2, it keeps under review the measures and policies adopted according to the results achieved in pursuit of the objectives specified in Article 1. It recalls that, in the terms of Article 1, an active policy designed to promote full, productive and freely chosen employment should be pursued “as a major goal”. As required by Article 3, the Committee hopes that the Government’s report will also provide information on consultation and cooperation with employers’ and workers’ organizations in the formulation and implementation of employment policies to alleviate the current employment situation.

Regional development. The Government indicates that it has prepared a draft programme for promoting the migration of workforce in the country, which serves to: (i) encourage territorial mobility of its citizens; (ii) increase employability of population; (iii) coordinate workforce supply and demand; and (iv) support enterprises in recruiting relevant employees. The Committee also notes that a suggestion was made to implement measures of the programme in 2008–10. The Committee invites the Government to include in its next report information on the implementation of this programme, as well as other specific activities undertaken to promote employment in disadvantaged regions, including the enhancement of labour mobility.

Small and medium-sized enterprises. Cooperatives. The Government reported that, in the 2007 Law on Small and Medium-sized Business Development of the Republic of Lithuania, it established more specific criteria to define very small, small and medium-sized enterprises and provided for new forms of state support for their business activities. The Department of Statistics is collecting and publishing data on cooperative enterprises. The Committee invites the Government to supply further information in its next report on the impact of this new law on the promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises as well as on the measures adopted to support cooperatives on employment creation.

Corporate social responsibility. The Government indicates in its report that, since 2004, it has promoted corporate responsibility for all enterprises as a way to integrate social and environmental concerns and enable interactions with stakeholders. The Committee notes that the Government elaborated upon the draft measures promoting corporate social responsibility in 2006–08 and launched the National Responsible Business Award, which honoured, inter alia, enterprises that managed to establish safe, healthy, high quality and attractive jobs for their employees. The National Gender Equality Programme 2005–09 was established to increase opportunities for women to start and develop businesses and to promote their economic activity. In the context of employment deterioration, the Committee notes that corporate social responsibility promotes the development of enterprises by fostering a positive environment and dialogue amongst businesses and other stakeholders, in particular authorities responsible for designing and implementing active labour market measures and workers’ organizations. The Committee therefore welcomes this innovative way in promoting productive employment. The Committee invites the Government to continue fostering programmes in pursuit of corporate social responsibility and to provide in its next report any information available on the impact of the National Responsible Business Award and the National Gender Equality Programme on employment generation by small and medium-sized enterprises.

Youth employment. Other vulnerable categories of workers. The Committee notes that, in 2006–07, the Lithuanian Labour Exchange implemented measures promoting learning, job search and selection of professional opportunities for young persons. The Government reports that it has ten youth labour centres, and that three of the centres were opened in 2007. The Committee notes that, in 2007, a new strategy of youth job centres was approved, which seeks to facilitate the integration of youth into the labour market. In addition, the development of skills necessary for competition in the labour market, and motivating the youth to lifelong learning as part of the strategy. The Committee invites the Government to specify in its next report the impact of the measures taken aimed at finding lasting employment for young workers entering into the labour market. The Government reports that, in 2007, more than 42,000 unemployed persons over 50 years of age were registered in its territorial labour exchange, and that it placed 23,600 of those workers into jobs. The Committee also invites the Government to include information on measures taken to ensure the return of long-term unemployed persons and older workers to the labour market.