Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2015, published 105th ILC session (2016)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Denmark (Ratification: 1970)

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Employment trends and active labour market measures. The Government indicates in its report that the employment policy reform will be gradually implemented beginning in 2015 and will focus on the needs of the unemployed and employers. With regard to the labour market bottlenecks, the Committee notes the Government’s indication concerning the recruitment process for about 9,000 positions which ended in vain in spring 2014, with the highest shortage of labour supply occurring in the construction and trade sectors and knowledge services. The Government adds that ongoing monitoring of the labour market and identification of risks of bottlenecks is mainly based on a biannual survey asking companies about the number of unsuccessful recruitments during the prior two months. Information is also collected on the effects of various employment schemes and has been disseminated through a web-based Knowledge Bank. Moreover, information obtained in 2011–12 demonstrated that there is no difference in the employment effects between job centres and private employment services for the unemployed with academic backgrounds who receive unemployment benefits. Moreover, the Committee notes that the initiative to hire more consultants at job centres was implemented in 2010–13 and resulted in an increase of the number of consultants from 6.6 to 9.5 at each job centre and a decrease in the number of the long-term unemployed. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the employment policy reform on increasing labour supply and reducing unemployment, including the results of the measures taken concerning the labour market bottlenecks. Please include information on the actions taken based on the Knowledge Bank to promote employment, including the statistical data showing the results.

Regional development. The Committee notes that result-oriented projects to help strengthen growth in the regions have been promoted by the Danish Business Authority and six regional growth forums. The projects are designed to achieve the specific objectives envisaged under the European Social Fund or the European Regional Development Fund programme 2014–20. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the results of the regional development measures, such as the projects carried out by the Danish Business Authority and the six regional growth forums.

Older workers. The Committee notes with interest that a job scheme introduced in the municipalities in 2008 resulted in a dramatic increase of jobs for older workers: from 13 in 2008 to 4,380 in 2013. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the measures taken to promote employment of older workers.

Workers with disabilities. The Committee notes the information provided indicating that the first goal of the employment strategy for persons with disabilities, which was to increase the number of enterprises that are comfortable working with a person with a mental illness by five percentage points between 2009 and 2012, was achieved. Neither the second goal of the said strategy, that is to increase the awareness of the possibilities for persons with disabilities to work, including flexi-jobs, personal assistance and financial support for aids in the workplace, nor the third goal, which was to increase the number of employed persons with disabilities, were fulfilled by 2012. The Committee further notes that the reform of the disability pension and the flexi-job scheme was implemented in January 2013 to include persons with the smallest working capacity in the labour market. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the measures taken to promote employment opportunities of persons with disabilities in the open labour market, including the impact of the disability pension reform on the employment of persons with disabilities.

Recruitment of foreign workers. The Committee notes that the reform on international recruitment was adopted in June 2014 to facilitate the access of companies to international labour supply. It also notes that the evaluation of the activities of the International Citizen Service (ICS) made in June 2013 shows the high satisfaction among the users. Current activities of the ICS, however, are not offered to all foreign workers. In this regard, the Government indicates that a working group was established to get wider geographical range of foreign workers with the principle of a simple entry of foreign workers, students and their families. The Ministry of Employment has also been involved in two biannual forums for exchange of information on recruiting foreign labour. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the abovementioned measures on recruitment of foreign workers, including the results of the reform on international recruitment.

Education and training policies. Youth employment. The Government indicates that the cash benefit reform implemented in January 2014 focuses on getting young people in education or employment, and ensuring that young people under 30 without education are eligible for educational grants. The Committee notes that the unemployment rate for young people was 12.9 per cent in December 2013, while it was measured at close to 6 per cent for people in the 25–74 age group. It also notes that in 2013 the rate of young people not in employment, education or training was 6 per cent and that the employment rate for people between the ages of 20 and 29 was 67.7 per cent. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the impact of the youth employment measures, including the impact of the cash benefit reform on the employment of young people.