The Government of Switzerland, through the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the Government of Moldova and the International Labor Organization (ILO) launched the second phase of a long-term project in Chisinau on March 20 to support Moldova’s transition to a more inclusive, productive and formal labor market.
The project, entitled “Inclusive and Productive Employment in Moldova – II”, aims to address persistent structural challenges, including low labor force participation, high levels of informal employment, weak productivity growth and limited effectiveness of labor market institutions, in line with the International Labor Standards (ILS) and relevant European Union legislation.
This phase of the initiative is financed by Switzerland for CHF 3 million ($3.8 million) and will be implemented by ILO.
The first phase of the project, which ran from December 2022 to June 2025, resulted in a number of achievements, including:
– Implementation of the National Employment Program to reduce the exclusion of women, youth and other vulnerable groups from the labor market;
– strengthening the capacity of the National Employment Agency of Moldova;
– progress towards modern, evidence-based labour market forecasting and social dialogue, which resulted in the implementation of a national action plan to combat and formalize undeclared employment.
The second phase will consolidate the results achieved and deepen cooperation with the Government, employers’ and workers’ organizations.
Priority areas for 2026-2030 include:
– Advancing key policy and legislative reforms in employment, enterprise development and formalization through social dialogue and tripartite cooperation;
– Strengthening labor market institutions and systems;
– addressing the informal economy in the construction sector;
– supporting labor productivity growth in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
“Sustainable labor productivity growth and the creation of decent jobs cannot be guaranteed by public policies alone. That is why the project aims to strengthen tripartite social dialogue bodies in Moldova at all levels,” said Valerie Berse Bircher, Undersecretary of State for Labor at SECO.
Peter van Rooy, ILO Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, said, “The launch of the second phase marks an important milestone in our partnership with Moldova’s tripartite constituents. We will continue to support evidence-based employment policies, institutional strengthening and effective social dialogue to promote social justice and decent working conditions for all.”
