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Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Implementation of an active employment policy. The Committee notes the Government’s report received in August 2008 generally referring to the measures taken in 2007 for the implementation of the main directives of the implementation of the state employment policy for the period up to 2009 and the regional programmes for the employment of the population. The priority tasks include: assisting regions facing unfavourable labour situations and promoting employment in mono-functional towns, coalmining regions and rural regions. In 2007, approximately 1.4 million persons were unemployed. According to the Government, the unemployment rate decreased from 6.8 per cent in 2006 to 6.4 per cent in 2007. New jobs were created for more than 1 million persons, two-thirds of which found jobs in the service sector and self-employment. The Committee notes the data supplemented by the ILO Subregional Office indicating that, during the reporting period, employment rates were higher in rural areas than those in urban areas, where the majority of the people live. The Committee notes that underemployment was notable in the agricultural sector where the average wage is less than half of those in the industrial and services sectors, and self-employed owners and contributing family members account for more than one third of the average wage in the industrial and service sectors. It further notes that the employment rate of young people was 36.5 per cent and that the unemployment rate for older workers was 61.8 per cent. The Committee recalls that in its 2007 observation it requested the Government to provide a report including information that will enable the Committee to examine the extent to which economic growth translates into improved labour market outcomes and poverty reduction. The Committee asks the Government to provide a report indicating the measures implemented as part of an active policy intended to promote full, productive and freely chosen employment (Article 1(1).

The Committee recalls the other points raised in its 2007 observation, for which it again requests the Government to reply in detail on the following matters:

–           training programmes and initiatives taken to promote the return of unemployed persons to employment;

–           measures taken to coordinate education and training policies and prospective employment opportunities;

–           measures taken to collect information on the labour market and on how the data was used in deciding on, and reviewing, employment policy measures;

–           measures taken to ensure lasting employment to assist miners who were laid off as a result of the closure of mines;

–           measures taken in the field of employment in favour of persons and regions affected by the accident in the nuclear plant of Chernobyl; and

–           measures taken to consult the representatives of the social partners, including those working in the rural sector and the informal economy, in the formulation and implementation of the employment policy.

The Committee notes that the preparation of a detailed report, including the indications requested in this observation, will certainly provide the Government and the social partners with an opportunity to evaluate the achievement of the objectives of full and productive employment under the Convention. In this regard, the Government might wish to request technical assistance from the relevant units of the ILO to address gaps in the implementation of an active employment policy in the sense of the Convention.