ILO calls for enhanced active labour market policies and public employment services in the run-up to Armenia’s major social assistance reform
Strengthening labour market integration for vulnerable groups is a key priority as Armenia prepares for major social assistance reforms, with a focus on advancing active labour market policies and enhancing public employment services.
12 March 2025
YEREVAN (ILO News) - A technical meeting focused on advancing active labour market policies (ALMPs) and strengthening public employment services (PES) amidst the social assistance reform was organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Yerevan on 12 March. The event took place prior to the start of a pilot vulnerability assessment system implementation in Kotayk and Syunik regions and brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, the Unified Social Services (USS), the Confederation of Trade Unions of Armenia (CTUA), the Republican Union of Employers of Armenia (RUEA) and UN agencies.
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In his opening remarks, Ruben Sargsyan, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of Armenia, emphasized that Armenia is piloting a new model for assessing vulnerability, aiming not only to assess people's capabilities and opportunities but also to support them in overcoming their challenges, while strengthening the professional competencies of employment specialists and contributing to the development of synchronized policies.
As the reform will tighten the eligibility criteria for social assistance and oblige beneficiaries to seek jobs, strengthening labour market integration support for the vulnerable is an urgent task. Discussions focused on enhancing labour market integration of vulnerable groups through ALMPs and PES. The participants actively debated actions to improve job-matching effectiveness, outreach to employers, information systems to support ALMPs operations, as well as highlighting the need for greater capacity of USS employment counsellors. The meeting was informed and facilitated by Kazutoshi Chatani, ILO Senior Employment Specialist, and Anna-Karin Palm Olsson, ILO Technical Specialist in Labour Market Services.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening synergies between social protection and employment policies. The Ministry is developing new employment programmes that reflect labour market demands and is finalizing the action plan for the Employment Strategy, which aims to create new pathways to employment for vulnerable groups, including public works programmes. The Ministry also outlined plans to streamline administrative processes and digitalise employment services.
The President of CTUA Elen Manaseryan analysed the observed dependency on social assistance from the broader perspective of decent work deficit in the country and suggested a more holistic approach to help beneficiaries of social assistance transition out of vulnerability. She emphasized that improving decent work opportunities and working conditions is essential to reducing dependency on social assistance because beneficiaries of social assistance are given access to subsidised education, healthcare and transportation, in addition to financial support.
The CEO of RUEA Lilit Adamyan discussed the activation programmes in the context of increasing shortages of skilled workers and suggested incentives to engage businesses in ALMPs. She also highlighted the importance of efficiency and results-oriented approach in activation programmes. The employer representative expressed interest in learning best practices in activation programmes and digitalization of labour administration abroad.
Representatives of the USS outlined their initiatives in support of the new vulnerability assessment system, which includes better coordination between social workers and employment counsellors and joint case management. USS also noted that jobseekers who have been long dependent on social assistance require tailored assistance from employment counsellors, necessitating combination of various employment programmes applied to facilitate their job placement.
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Digital innovation plays a crucial role in improving access to job opportunities. The Head of the Workforce Development Centre of Kazakhstan presented an advanced digital employment platform that integrates job, social protection, skills, domestic migration and labour inspection portals. Similarly, the Nork Technology Centre aims to integrate employment platforms with other social and economic support systems to provide a seamless experience for job seekers and employers alike in Armenia.
ILO specialists underscored the need to enhance the capacity of employment counsellors through professional capacity development, digitalization of operations and adequate resources allocation. The participants agreed to monitor challenges that may emerge throughout the pilot implementation of the new poverty assessment in the two provinces and plan necessary labour market interventions accordingly.
The event was organised within the framework of the ILO RBSA-funded intervention on “Building the capacity of constituents of pre-empting informalisation of work and promote transition to formality in the context of a refugee crisis” in Armenia.