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1. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its report for the period ending June 1994. According to the data provided by the Government, the unemployment rate, which had reached an annual average of 6.9 per cent in 1991, rose to 8 per cent in 1992 and 7.5 per cent in 1993. The Government also states that the vast majority of workers affected by unemployment are unskilled. With reference to its previous request, the Committee regrets to note that the Government is still not in a position to provide detailed information on the situation and trends of employment, underemployment and unemployment. It recalls that it noted previously the Government's statement that a system for the compilation and analysis of employment statistics was being developed. In view of the need to have available reliable information on current and foreseeable labour market trends in order to decide upon and keep under review employment policy measures in accordance with Article 2 of the Convention, the Committee hopes that the Government will soon be in a position to report progress in this respect.

2. The Government refers to employment promotion measures through financing the purchase of raw materials by enterprises in the fishing sector in order to prevent dismissals, as well as the launching of labour-intensive activities in the construction sector. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide more detailed information on the contribution made by these measures to combating unemployment.

3. The Committee notes the adoption of new provisions for the employment of the unemployed in special projects and the payment of subsidies to employers who recruit them. It requests the Government to indicate the number of persons who have benefited from these measures. The Committee also notes the information concerning vocational training courses for the unemployed. It notes that their effectiveness in terms of the long-term integration of beneficiaries into employment appears to be relatively limited. More generally, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide any evaluation that is available of the effectiveness of the various measures to intervene on the labour market. It notes in this respect that the working group set up to coordinate and evaluate activities to combat unemployment has not met in recent years.

4. The Committee regrets to note the absence of any information on the manner in which the representatives of the persons concerned by the measures to be taken, and particularly the representatives of employers and workers, are consulted concerning employment policies, in accordance with Article 3 of the Convention. It trusts that the Government will supply full information in its next report on the effect given to this important provision of the Convention.