MISSION The mission of State Employment Agency is to become a bridge connecting employer and employee and reducing unemployment.

Brief information on the history of State Employment Agency 17 April 1991 State Employment Service was formed (SES) At the beginning of 1999 SES consisted of: - SES headquarters; - 20 financially independent SES centres; - 8 SES divisions; - 38 offices On July 1, 1999 under the supervision of the Ministry of Welfare of the Republic of Latvia state joint-stock company, non-profit organisation – SES - was formed - Joint-stock company SES was a two-level organisation consisting of the board and affiliates that involved 28 centres and 34 sectors In October 2003 reorganisation took place and State Employment Agency was formed

State Employment Agency 28 affiliates 30 sectors Board 671 staff units (including those working at the ESF Department and its 5 regional divisions)

DirectorConsultative Board Deputy Director for ESF issues Deputy Director European Social Fund Department Legal Department Project Monitoring Division Financial Management Division Project Support Division Kurzeme Regional Division Latgale Regional Division Riga Regional Division Vidzeme Regional Division Zemgale Regional Division Budget and National Programme Financial Planning Division Accountancy Division Personnel Division Documentation Management Division Public Purchase and Real Estate Division System Analysis and Programming Division Information System Operation Division Data Security and Quality Division Labour Market Research Division Statistics Division Strategic Planning Division Employment Measures Division Education and Vocational Training Division Public Relations Department Internal Audit Division ESF Audit Division Internal Audit Department IT Department Administrative Management Department Budget and Finance Planning Department Strategic Planning and Analysis Department Employment Coordination Department Director’s Assistant International Department

Main functions of State Employment Agency To register and keep record of unemployed and job-seekers To register vacancies To provide assistance to unemployed and job-seekers in integration into the labour market To organise and implement active employment measures To analyse and make forecasts on labour market situation To fulfil the functions of the second-level intermediary institution of the ESF

Registered unemployment rate in Latvia by June 30, 2005 (%) Total number of economically active inhabitants in the country – Number of unemployed in the country–

Unemployment rate in the regions of Latvia (%)

Information on unemployed divided by risk groups

SERVICES FOR UNEMPLOYED Vocational training, re-training and qualification raising courses Competitiveness increasing measures including the possibility to participate in the module training Paid temporary public works Measures for disadvantaged groups i.e. subsidised employment measures for young persons without work experience, people with disabilities, pre-retirement age persons, long-term unemployed, persons after maternity leave, persons discharged from imprisonment etc.

SERVICES FOR JOB-SEEKERS Receipt of the unemployed status Information on vacancies Opportunity to raise one’s competitiveness in the labour market

SERVICES FOR EMPLOYERS Registration of vacancies Qualified labour force Training of the unemployed according to the needs of employer and also: Participation in the organisation of paid temporary public works Participation in the organisation of measures for disadvantaged groups Involvement in the subsidised employment measures Involvement in the recruitment of foreigners Participation in different pilot projects organised by SEA

Active Employment Measures The goal: to increase the competitiveness of human resources in the labour market Occupational training, re-training and qualification raising of unemployed Competitiveness increasing measures Measures for disadvantaged groups of unemployed (subsidised work places, work practice, social enterprises for employment of less competitive unemployed etc. Paid temporary public works

The number of unemployed and job-seekers involved in active employment measures on June 30, 2005 RegionOccupational training, re-training and qualification raising of unemployed Competitiveness raising measures (CRM) Measures for disadvantaged groups (MDG) Paid temporary public works (PTPW) Riga Kurzeme Latgale Vidzeme Zemgale Total in the country

ESF – promotion of employment European Social Fund, ESF is the financial instrument of the European Union that supports development of people’s work abilities, skills and knowledge in Latvia; eliminates al kinds of discrimination and inequality in the labour market. SEA was approved as the second-level intermediary institution in charge of administrating the activities designed to promote employment and reduce social gap. In SEA will implement LVL 25.6 mln worth National programme projects

Employment will be fostered thanks to LVL 11.2 mln worth open competition projects: Provision of work places for young unemployed with the view of improving competitiveness of year-old unemployed and promoting their involvement into the labour market Provision of subsidised work places for the people from the socially disadvantaged groups with the view of improving competitiveness of representatives of these groups and promoting their involvement into the labour market Support to labour market studies aimed at creating analysis based decision making at all the levels by means of elaboration of a detailed labour market situation and development scenario as well as research of different relevant factors

EURES (European Employment Services network) opens up new ways for: Job-seekers – access to the information and guidance on employment opportunities as well as work and life conditions in the EU member states Employers – free of charge vacancy registration within the EURES database; consideration of CVs and choice of appropriate employees from any EURES country saving money and time

There are 5 regional EURES advisers and 28 EURES assistants in Latvia: Receive consultations from EURES specialists in every SEA affiliate For additional information surf the following homepages:

INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES Intergovernmental Agreements Germany-Latvia Protocol of Co-operation Lithuania, Estonia, Germany, Ireland ILO, WAPES Partners in Leonardo da Vinci Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Sweden, France, UK, Austria, Slovakia, Denmark, Hungary Partners Denmark, Germany, Finland, Canada, UK, Sweden, Finland

STATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCY 38 Kr.Valdemara iela, Riga, LV – 1010, Phone: Fax:

Thank you!