Active measures on the labor market in North Macedonia were introduced in 2007, in order to deal with the high rates of unemployment and inactivity. They are part of the annual Operational Plan for active programs and measures for employment and services on the labor market, created by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies, and the Employment Agency is in charge of their implementation.

    Mainly, the active measures are divided into the following categories:

    • Support for self-employment
    • Support for creating new jobs
    • Trainings
    • Internship
    • Work engagement program
    • Economy of care
    • Support for the creation of new jobs through green investments
    • Payment of youth allowance
    • A second chance

     

    1. Support for self-employment

    The self-employment program is support intended for unemployed persons to start or formalize their own business. The measure provides an initial grant of up to MKD 615,000 for all registered persons who have a sustainable and positively evaluated business plan.

    1. Support for creating new jobs

    The program for creating new jobs aims to encourage the employment of unemployed persons in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, social enterprises and civil society organizations that are engaged in economic activity during the performance of an activity. The program includes the following measures:

    • Subsidizing wages – a measure to encourage the employment of people who are more difficult to join the labor market, such as the long-term unemployed, young people, beneficiaries of guaranteed minimum assistance, single parents, Roma, etc., by providing 19,000 MKD monthly wage subsidy for a period of 6 months.
    • Employment and growth of legal entities – a measure to support the creation of new jobs in micro, small and medium enterprises, social enterprises and civil society organizations , by providing financial support up to 1,100,000 MKD for the creation of new jobs.
    • Support for the employment of persons with disabilities – a mix of measures to encourage the employment of persons with disabilities through wage subsidies, workplace adaptation and their work training through training and mentoring.
    1. Trainings

    The training aims to improve the skills and qualifications of unemployed persons for their more successful integration into the labor market. In the Operational Plan for 2023, the implementation of the following trainings is foreseen:

    • On-the-job training at a specific employer in order to acquire the skills of unemployed persons to perform work tasks in accordance with the needs of the employer
    • Training for professional qualifications according to the requirements of employers in order to acquire professional qualifications through training conducted by verified trainers according to the requirements of employers.
    • Training for in-demand occupations with the aim of meeting the needs of in-demand occupations, social services and qualifications leading to ‘green jobs’, e-commerce.
    • Training for drivers with the aim of increasing the employability of unemployed persons through the acquisition of a driver’s license for C, CE and D category.
    • Digital skills training aimed at upgrading knowledge and skills in the field of information technology.
    1. Internship

    The program aims to acquire practical work knowledge and skills needed to perform work tasks in certain jobs for unemployed young people up to 29 years of age, with a minimum secondary education, by providing financial support of 11,000 MKD per month, for a period of 3 months.

    1. Public engagement program

    The program ensures the social inclusion of less employable persons for the purpose of acquiring certain skills and their gradual inclusion in the labor market, through implementation of municipal infrastructure and environmental protection projects at the local level . The program provides 600 MKD per day, for employment in appropriate local projects, for a period of 22 working days.

    1. Economy of care

    The program ensures the inclusion of unemployed persons for the purpose of acquiring knowledge, skills and competences for the provision of care services in the community and the possibility of work engagement and employment as formal service providers in the area of the care economy, according to the needs of the citizens at the local level . The program includes the following measures:

    • Municipal useful work – a mix of measures to increase employability and employment through employment of unemployed persons, aimed at providing social and health services at the local level . The measure provides financial support of 13,750 MKD per month, for inclusion in training for a duration of 3 months and 13,750 MKD per month for employment for a period of 6 to 9 months.
    • Training and employment of people to provide care services in the community – a measure to support unemployed people to acquire professional qualifications and skills for providing care services in the community and support for their employment in the area of the care economy. The measure provides financial support of 11,000 MKD per month for inclusion in training for a duration of 3 months and a gross salary subsidy of 30,780 MKD per month for hiring persons for a period of 10 months.
    1. Support for the creation of new jobs through green investments

    The program provides a grant of up to 660,000 MKD to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in order to contribute to the reduction of unemployment in the country by encouraging the creation of new jobs and the process of green transformation of the private sector through the introduction of green products, services, technologies or processes in enterprises.

    1. Payment of youth allowance

    The program aims to encourage the employment of young people up to 23 years of age in production activities, by providing monthly financial support of 3,000 MKD per month.

    1. A second chance

    A pilot measure introduced in 2023 aimed at enabling unemployed job seekers with low or irrelevant skills to complete secondary vocational education and obtain a formal state-issued diploma that they did not obtain while in regular education.

     

    Employment services

    Apart from active measures, the Employment Agency through its local Employment Centers implements services aimed at increasing the employability of the unemployed workforce and meeting the needs of the labor market, using an individual approach oriented towards both the unemployed and the employers. Services usually include information activities, counselling, mentoring, career guidance and promotion of available measures to potential beneficiaries. More specifically, the Employment Agency provides the following services aimed at the unemployed:

    1. Job search assistance – an instrument that provides services related to profiling and preparation of an Individual Employment Plan, career counseling, providing information on the conditions and requirements of the labor market, as well as information on existing active measures. In addition, the employment centers offer help in preparing a CV and cover letter, strengthening skills for successful presentation at a job interview, as well as education in using the online services of the ESA, and organizing info-meetings for young people. and other unemployed persons.
    2. Professional orientation and career counseling – an activity that enables unemployed persons to develop job search skills and planning and management of their own career development, assistance in choosing an occupation, training or employment, as well as additional support in assessing their own potential.
    3. Motivational training – one-day training to increase information and motivation for participation in active employment measures.
    4. Training “Preparation for employment and work” – training for young people that includes the following modules: introductory module, personal development, job search skills, communication skills, appropriate behavior in the workplace, teamwork and leadership, safety, rights and responsibilities . at work and financial skills.
    5. Activation of unemployed Roma and other groups at risk of social exclusion – an instrument that provides mentorship to the target group by hiring local mentors who will motivate them and regularly inform them about employment opportunities. The service uses an individual approach to identify the knowledge, qualifications and skills that people have, in order to choose the most appropriate active measures.
    6. SIM – counseling and motivation of users of Guaranteed Minimum Assistance – providing counseling, support, motivation and monitoring of GMA users during their activation in the labor market.

    Also, AVRSM provides services aimed at employers, for information, advice and providing opportunities to use the services and measures, use of the electronic services of the agency, information and advice in the field of labor legislation, participation in joint events such as employer forums, mediation when finding a suitable candidate for their vacant positions, etc.