Inter-institutional interaction results : the effect of EU programs on the reduction of long-term unemployment

The article discusses the problem of integration of long-term unemployed people into the labor market, evaluating the efficiency of projects that were realized in Lithuania and partly or fully financed by EU structural foudations. The analysis made is based on the results for 2008-2013 provided by the Lithuanian department of Statistics and Lithuanian Labour Exchange.

A conclusion is formed on the basis of the analysis that the efficiency of projects for reducing unemployment and financed by the EU could be evaluated as more positive than negative: the index of employment of the project participants is around 65 per cent.

It is also emphasized that inter-institutional interaction of the country, municipalities and non-governmental organizations is also needed to motivate the integration of the employed into the labor market, as it allows to provide complex methodological and other help for the socially vulnerable groups. In addition, the financial support provided by the EU foundations is mandatory, because regarding the reasons and scale of unemployment and pursues for social sustainability, Lithuania is not able to overcome this problem alone.