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1. The Committee notes the Government’s report for the period December 2000-02 containing general information on labour market trends. The Government indicates that since 2000 there has been a slowdown in employment growth as a result of the international crisis. Unemployment reached a high point of 10 per cent in the third quarter of 2000, with the most affected categories being young persons and women. For young persons between 15 and 19 years of age, the unemployment rate reached 25.7 per cent at the end of 2001, while that of women was 8.4 per cent. The Government refers to a support programme for the unemployed and measures for the training of workers (756,080 workers were trained and benefited from employment skills measures in 2001). It also emphasizes that Chile was the Latin American country with the highest average rate of economic growth during the period 1994-2001, with the lowest inflation rate and without a fiscal deficit. The report enumerates other measures giving effect to the Convention, such as the labour market information system, the SENCE-OMIL programme, the vocational skills certification programme and the Pro-Growth Agenda.

2. According to the information published by the ILO in Panorama laboral 2003, GDP grew by 2.2 per cent in 2002 (with growth of 3.2 per cent expected in 2003 and more vigorous economic activity as a result of the entry into force of the trade agreements concluded with the European Union and the expected benefits of the free trade agreements with the United States and the Republic of Korea). Special public employment programmes and subsidies for the hiring of new workers have been continued, with only 1.6 per cent of workers receiving unemployment insurance benefits (in 2000). According to the data published by ECLAC in its Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean, 2002-03, direct public employment programmes and subsidies for private employment (reintegration and training grants) financed 160,000 jobs during the winter quarter of 2002.

3. Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. In view of the above indications, the Committee notes the relevance of the provisions of the Convention, which require the Government to declare and pursue, as a major goal, an active policy designed to promote full, productive and freely chosen employment within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy and in consultation with representatives of all the persons affected. As it has been requesting for a number of years, the Committee hopes to be provided with a detailed report containing information on the programmes implemented and the results achieved in meeting the employment needs of vulnerable categories of workers, such as women, young persons entering the labour market, workers in precarious forms of employment and workers affected by restructuring measures.

4. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate in its next report the employment policy measures that have been pursued and the programmes that are being carried out, and the extent to which initiatives designed to promote economic development or achieve other economic and social objectives have taken into account their impact on the labour market.

5. The Committee refers to the objective of training 1 million workers annually as of 2005 and understands that 843,804 workers benefited in 2003 from the SENCE’s tax incentive programme. The Committee hopes that the Government will continue to provide information in its next report on the SENCE’s activities and the results achieved by the vocational skills certification programme. In this respect, the Government may wish to refer to the guidance set out in the Human Resources Development Recommendation, 2004 (No. 195).

6. Article 3. The Committee notes that the report does not contain information on the consultations required by this important provision of the Convention. The Committee refers once again to its previous comments, in which it indicated that the consultations required by this provision of the Convention should cover all aspects of economic and social policy which affect employment and, in addition to representatives of employers and workers, should involve representatives of other sectors of the economically active population, such as those working in the rural sector and the informal economy. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing detailed information on the manner in which their experience and views are taken fully into account, their full cooperation is secured and the necessary support of the social partners is enlisted in formulating employment policies.

7. The preparation of a detailed report containing replies to the points raised in this direct request will provide an opportunity for the Government and the social partners to evaluate the means of achieving the objective of full and productive employment set out in the Convention. The Committee recalls that the preparation of a full report on the application of the Convention may require consultations with other government ministries or agencies concerned, such as those responsible for planning, the economy and statistics. The Government may also consider it useful to refer to the General Survey of 2004 on promoting employment.