Solicitud directa (CEACR) - Adopción: 2024, Publicación: 113ª reunión CIT (2025)

Convenio sobre el servicio del empleo, 1948 (núm. 88) - El Salvador (Ratificación : 1995)

Article 1 of the Convention. Employment service’s contribution to promoting employment. The Committee takes note of the comprehensive information provided by the Government regarding the evolution of the national employment system. The Committee notes that the strategic institutional plan objectives of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MTPS) for the period between 2019 and 2024 are: (1) to stimulate economic growth and decent employment; (2) to develop initiatives to simplify, strengthen, and modernize public employment services, particularly for young people and vulnerable individuals; and (3) to develop institutional links to promote employment, employability of workers, and entrepreneurship.

In this regard, the Committee notes the establishment in 2019 of the Labour Market Information System (Sistema de Información del Mercado Laboral – SIMEL), which allows for the collection of data to maximize the potential for formulating and implementing relevant policies and programs. Various tools have also been developed to promote employment, including: (1) the “My First Job” program (mi primer trabajo) – managed by the MTPS, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and the ILO – aimed at individuals aged 18 to 35 without professional experience who will benefit from a five-month apprenticeship contract with a monthly remuneration equivalent to the current minimum wage (US$365); (2) the “Opportunities” platform (OportunidadES), which innovates in the field of job search and allows companies and job seekers to meet through an MTPS recruitment and selection specialist; and (3) the professional migration program, which offers employment opportunities abroad. Furthermore, the Government reports the expansion of employment services across the national territory with the opening of recruitment offices at the municipal and regional levels.

Finally, the Committee notes that, in 2023, job fairs were replaced by the “Employment Tour” (Gira por el Empleo) to get closer to private companies and provide an immediate response to job seekers. This initiative targets young people aged 18, individuals over 40, single mothers, people with disabilities, and labour migration. Following the positive results of the first edition, the tour was once again held across the country between August and October 2024. Several hundred people thus gain employment each year. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the results obtained regarding the effectiveness of the free public employment service. Specifically, the Committee requests the Government to provide more information on any measures taken or planned to increase the human and financial resources of the public employment service or to improve the training and professional development of public employment service employees. Additionally, the Committee requests the Government for additional information on the mechanisms put in place to improve coordination between the various institutions and programs related to employment so that they collaborate more effectively to avoid overlaps and inefficiencies. Furthermore, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the strategies adopted to improve access to public employment services in rural and marginalized areas to make them more inclusive and accessible to all segments of the population. The Committee also requests the Government to indicate the measures taken or planned to align its services with the real needs of the labour market and whether information and communication technologies have been integrated to improve the efficiency of public employment services, particularly to reach a larger number of job seekers.

Articles 4 and 5. Cooperation with social partners. The Committee requests the Government to provide updated information on the cooperation with social partners in the organization and functioning of the national employment system, at both national and local levels, as well as in the development of programs and initiatives aimed at reducing unemployment and underemployment.

Article 9. Status and Training of Employment Service Personnel. The Government indicates that the training of national employment service personnel was provided by the Salvadoran Institute of Technical and Professional Training (Instituto Salvadoreño de Formación Técnica Profesional) (INSAFORP). Noting that INSAFORP was replaced by the National Training and Education Institute (Instituto Nacional de Capacitación y Formación) (INCAF) as of 1 December 2023, the Committee requests the Government to continue providing updated information on the measures adopted to ensure appropriate training for service personnel, whether through INCAF or other means.

Article 11. Cooperation between the Public Employment Service and Private Employment Agencies. The Committee notes that regulations concerning private employment agencies are currently being developed. The Committee requests the Government to keep it informed of any developments regarding the regulation of private employment agencies and the measures taken to ensure cooperation between the national employment system and private employment agencies. The Committee further requests the Government to provide a copy of the new regulation once it has been adopted.

In this regard, the Committee draws the Government’s attention to the fact that the Convention and the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181) complement each other. In its General Survey of 2010 on employment instruments, paragraphs 785 to 790, the Committee emphasized that cooperation between public services and private employment agencies is necessary for the proper functioning of the labour market and the achievement of full employment. The institutions provided for by the Convention and the Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122), and Convention No. 181 form an essential structure contributing to employment growth. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on how the new regulation governs the cooperation between the public employment service and private employment agencies to strengthen their collaboration and achieve the optimal functioning of the labour market and contribute to the goal of full employment.

The Committee also wishes to draw the Government’s attention to the ILO campaign to promote the joint ratification of the Convention and Convention No. 181. The Committee therefore invites the Government to consider ratifying Convention No. 181, which represents the most recent instrument in the field of private employment services and recognizes the role of these agencies in complementing and contributing to the effective implementation of the objectives of the Convention.