Any labour market intervention aimed at preserving employability of the workforce, by helping jobseekers find a job or keeping workers in employment.

Comment
  • The main objective of active labour market policy is to strengthen job prospects of unemployed people and those at risk of unemployment, and to improve the match between supply (jobs available) and demand (job seekers). To achieve this it must:
    • ensure that job seekers have the necessary skills, motivation and incentives to seek employment;
    • increase their employability and help them find suitable employment;
    • improve opportunities for job seekers and people inactive in the labour market;
    • implement activation policies through effective labour market institutions;
  • active labour market policy measures include:
    • provision of vocational education and training (e.g. upskilling, job-search training);
    • assistance in the job search process (e.g. job placement services);
    • wage subsidies or public works programmes;
    • support to micro-entrepreneurs or self-employed workers.
Source

Cedefop; OECD, 2021; European Commission, 2017a.