1. State Employment Agency services for persons with disabilities Vija Racinska SEA Deputy Director of employment policy issues

2. Unemployment rate in Latvia in March 2009 – 10,7% Unemployment rate (%)

3. The number of unemployed (average over the period) january-february unemployed disabled

4. The registered number of unemployed disabled people (on February 28, 2009)

5. The number of unemployed by age groups (on February 28, 2009, unemployed total – 103731) unemployed including disabled 60 and older

6. The number of unemployed by level of education (on February 28, 2009, unemployed total – 103731) unemployed including disabled Lower than elementary General elementary General secondary VocationalHigher No education proof Certificates

7. Unemployed groups (on February 28, 2009) unemployed disabled disabled long-term unemployed young people 15-24 y.o. freed from prison persons after parental leave unemployed at pre-retirement age

8. Unemployed disabled people engagement in employment activities Activity2008 2009 January-February Professional training (including training at employer’s enterprise) 12522 Non-formal training 41694 Subsidized employment 49418 Probation jobs 250 Paid temporary jobs 49254 Competitiveness improvement activities 93192 Launching a business or self-employment initiating activities 40

9. Employment of unemployed unemployed including disabled 2008; 2009 January-February

10. State Employment Agency (implements the government policy in the field of unemployment reduction and provides support for unemployed people, job seekers and people from unemployment risk groups in accordance with the Law on Unemployed and Job Seekers Support) organizes events on employment promotion and implements measures on unemployment reduction helps unemployed people and job seekers as well as economically inactive people enter the labor market organizes cooperation with employers, mutual information exchange as well as records vacancies advertised by employers registers and keeps records of unemployed and job seekers free of charge informs about the vacancies advertised by employers as well as about the rights and obligations of unemployed and job seekers organizes the dialogue between unemployed, job seekers and employers in order to reduce unemployment offers free of charge career consulting for unemployed, job seekers and other persons (17 tasks in total)

11. State Employment Agency organizes events on employment promotion and implements preventive measures on unemployment reduction Unemployed people, job seekers and people from unemployment risk groups are involved in the activities taking into account the situation on the labor market, the proposals of these people, their needs and the interests of employers.

12. Purpose of employment measures: motivate unemployed, job seekers and economically inactive people to actively seek work facilitate the formation of market appropriate, skilled and well trained labor force facilitate the increasing of a person’s competitiveness facilitate equal opportunities for people willing to enter labor market

13. Professional training, retraining and raising existing qualifications Aim: The activity is meant to facilitate the acquisition of further education and development education program by the unemployed. After passing the qualification examination an unemployed person receives the document certifying qualification. After the development program– the document certifying education. Professional training is organized in accordance with the SEA registered vacancies, short-term labor market forecast (annual survey of employers) or on the request of an employer. The length of the activity: 1-6 months. During the training time an unemployed person receives the scholarship – 70Ls.

14. Training at employer’enterprise Aim: practical training of an unemployed person at an employer’s enterprise to prepare the specialist which the employer needs (in case the profession does not require State-recognized educational document or a person has lost vocational skills in previous profession). The length of the activity: 2-6 months (new profession acquisition – till 6 months, professional skills renewal – till 3 months). Unemployed monthly training allowance -50% of the national minimum monthly wage. After the training the employer is obliged to recruit the trainee and ensure occupation relevant to the profession for at least 6 months.

15. Non-formal training programs (basic social and professional skills acquisition) Aim: The involvement of the unemployed and job seekers in the acquisition of non-formal training programs in case their skills do not correspond to the demands of the changing labor market (or the skills are not sufficient), which causes difficulties in employment. The length of the training: 1-2 months, scholarship – 70Ls per month. Most demanded non-formal training programs: the national language the English language computing project management B,C,D,E driving license practical marketing

16. Paid temporary jobs Aim: Paid temporary jobs are the ones which do not require special skills or the low skilled jobs, which are done by unemployed people willing to work but cannot find suitable permanent jobs because of various reasons (e.g. the lack of social mobility, difficulties in adaptation to the labor market demands). Kinds of jobs which unemployed do: territory cleaning and provision of amenities; recreation facilities improvement; social care work. The length of the activity - not more than 6 months, average - 2 months Support in the bounds of the activity: the monthly payment to one working unemployed person consists of - state support - one national minimum monthly wage, - employer’s co-financing over one national minimum monthly wage.

17. Activity for target groups of unemployed (subsidized jobs) Aim: Help target groups of unemployed understand the demands of labor market, facilitate their socializing and permanent employment. The length of the involvement in the activity for an unemployed person from a target group 12 months for the person in “unfavorable situation” 24 months for unemployed disabled person Support in the bounds of the activity: 1.unemployed disabled person is allocated a monthly subsidized wage in accordance with the professions which are included in the list of major groups of the Latvian Republic Classifier of Professions: group 9 – 100%, groups 8 and 7 – from 100% to 150%, groups 6,5, and 4 – from 100% to 200%, groups 3 and 2 – from 100% to 250%, group 1 – from 100% to 300% of national minimum monthly wage; 2.one-time allowance on the purchase of devices and equipment to align an unemployed disabled person’s workplace conditions according to the opinion of ergo therapist, not more than 1000 Ls for one workplace alignment; 3.payments for accompanying service of unemployed disabled persons who need the service - 50% of national minimum monthly wage for each unemployed disabled person who was provided with the accompanying service; 4.reimbursement for health checks to each unemployed disabled person (if the Regulations stipulate mandatory health checks) – not more than 15 Ls. During the activity time unemployed persons with disabilities can use the services of ergo therapist, sign language interpreter and accompanying service.

18. Competitiveness improvement activities Aim The activity is meant for unemployed and job seekers to acquire the methods of seeking jobs, for psychological support and necessary basic skills acquisition. The activity participants are offered group and individual training. The length of the activity: 1-40 academic hours

19. Career consultations Aim: SEA gives career consultations in order to provide support for unemployed, job seekers and other persons at unemployment risk solving their problems of professional suitability, retraining and career planning. The Agency gives individual career consultations, group career consultations and organizes seminars. The length of a consultation is 1-4 academic hours depending on the service (individual consultation, group consultation or a seminar). Summarizing the feedback on clients’ satisfaction with the services provided by the Agency it is possible to conclude that 91% of the surveyed consider the consultations useful, which confirms the necessity and effectiveness of career services.

20. Thank you for your attention!