Muamer Bandić, Director of Labour and Employment Agency of BiH handed over the CPESSEC Presidency to representatives of Bulgaria



The Managerial and Expert Conferences of the Centre of Public Employment Services of Southeast European Countries on “Efficiency of Active Labour Market Measures “ were held on 23^rd and 24^th October 2019 in Sarajevo.  The conferences were held as part of the annual presiding of the Labour and Employment Agency of BiH over the Centre of Public Employment Services of Southeast European Countries (CPESSEC).

On the first day, the conference of directors of public employment services - CPESSEC members was held in which Mr. Muamer Bandić, Director of the Labour and Employment Agency of BiH, handed over the CPESSEC Presidency to Ms. Anna Delibasheva, Deputy Director of the Employment Agency of Bulgaria.

On this occasion Director Bandić reminded that it was his great honour to preside over CPESSEC in the previous year on behalf of the Labour and Employment Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Over the past year, we sought to manage the Centre of Public Employment Services of Southeast European Countries effectively and in a dignified manner.  In accordance with CPESSEC objectives, we have continued to develop the measures and policies targeting full employment, improvement in work quality, the strengthening of social inclusion, promotion of equal job opportunities for all, activation of working-age population and an increased employment of youth and other vulnerable groups in the labour market”, said Mr. Bandić.

“I will remind once again that the Labour and Employment Agency of BiH presided over CPESSEC for the first time in 2009.  This was a year when the labour markets of our countries were already greatly suffering from the adverse effects of the global economic crisis. That period will be remembered by large numbers of laid-off workers, a large increase in unemployment rates, job cuts and a drastic decline in industrial production, a fall in living standards and other negative effects. By the end of 2009, BiH had 510 580 registered unemployed persons, administrative unemployment rate was 42.7% and LFS unemployment rate was 24.1%.  In subsequent years, CPESSEC was strongly committed to alleviating the impacts of the economic crisis on regional labour markets.  In the years to follow we discussed together the measures, programmes and innovations in our work with the unemployed, all with a view to reducing as much as possible the growing unemployment in our labour markets. Today, ten years later, the situation is completely different: unemployment has been steadily falling and employment levels have been increasing.  The number of people out of work is by 100 000 persons lower relative to 2009, administrative unemployment rate is 33.1% and the LFS unemployment rate stands at 15.7%.  Thanks to, amongst others, the Centre of Public Employment Services of Southeast European Countries, we can say today that we have succeeded in reversing negative trends in the labour market so that we continuously register a growth in employment and a decline in unemployment”, added Bandić.

“For all that has been said, I wish the Employment Agency of Bulgaria every success in their work as CPESSEC presiding member over the next year with a view to further strengthening CPESSEC and building on positive trends in our labour markets”, said Bandić.