SDGs Partnership Fund: COVID-19 Response and Recovery Window of the Moldova 2030

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a severe fall in economic activity in Moldova, putting the labour market under unprecedented strain, almost doubling the underemployment and inactivity. Illness and physical distancing measures have disrupted business operations; many enterprises stopped working (partially or completely); high records of returnees have increased the pressure on domestic job markets. Moldova’s migratory patterns have created a class of vulnerable family members left behind, many now cut off from remittances, which for many is a principal source of disposable income. Moldova provides provisional state income-support programs to vulnerable workers who lost their job due to the crisis. However, the access to these support programs and to active labour market programs (ALMPs), is heavily hampered by weak capacities of the National Employment Agency (NEA) who is unable to timely provide targeted support to increased flows of jobless people, including returning migrants, temporarily unemployed and/or in search of new jobs opportunities due to COVID-19 crisis. To help address these issues, the ILO in partnership with UN Women and OHCHR, provides immediate emergency rehabilitation to vulnerable groups and populations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through: 1. capacity development for NEA for a quick segmentation and referral to ALMPs of unemployed directly affected by COVID-19; 2. entrepreneurship and technical training, mentoring support, small grants and legal support to business registration to 50 program beneficiaries; 3. roll out of employment subsidy scheme to help 50 program beneficiaries to take up a job. As a result of the ILO support approximatively, 100 unemployed persons from rural communities improve their access to jobs and entrepreneurial activities and benefit from employment programmes to enhance their income opportunities and livelihoods. The program ensures equal opportunities at job facilitation and training activities for men and women. The activities are designed, especially to enable access of young women at risk of poverty and exclusion and female returnees, as most disadvantaged groups, to timely, good quality and tailor-made services and facilitation of their inclusion into decent work.

Project symbol

MDA/20/02/OUF

Admin unit

DWT/CO-Budapest

Start date

01/10/2020

End date

30/09/2021

Total allocation

180407

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

179735

Development Partners

Multi Partner Trust Fund Office, UNDP

Country/Countries

Republic of Moldova

Outcomes

Outcome 3: Economic, social and environmental transitions for full, productive and freely chosen employment and decent work for all