How will unemployed people find work, and who gets support?

Under the Labour Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Law on Employment, the employment of citizens with low competitiveness in the labour market and a special need for social protection is regulated through state guarantees and incentives.

Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the state sets mandatory employment quotas for employers to help people in these categories find work, and increases hiring opportunities by financing part of their wages.

People with disabilities and war veterans

War veterans who took part in military operations to defend Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, independence and constitutional order, veterans, members of martyrs’ families and people with disabilities are treated by employment authorities as a priority social group for job placement. They receive preference when employers fill quota positions. In addition, people with disabilities are not subject to a probationary period when hired and are entitled to reduced weekly working hours.

People discharged from fixed-term military service

The law provides a special guarantee for people who worked at an enterprise before being called up for military service, regardless of its ownership or organizational and legal form. After completing military service, they have the right to return to their former or an equivalent position within 60 calendar days. Employers are required to reinstate former service members who apply within that period.

Young people, graduates and those without parental care

Young people under 20 entering employment for the first time after graduating from vocational or higher education institutions, as well as children who have lost their parents or are deprived of parental care, are included in special state employment programs. Employers may not impose a probationary period when hiring young people in these categories for their first job, and dedicated quota positions are allocated for them.

Internally displaced people and those needing social adaptation

Internally displaced people, people with refugee status, citizens who took part in the cleanup after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, and people released from correctional facilities are also considered groups requiring special social protection in the labour market. The State Employment Agency works with employers to establish social jobs to support their integration into society and access to employment.

State mechanisms for employers

To put these incentives into practice, the state applies quotas ranging from 3% to 5%, depending on the type of activity, at enterprises and organizations with more than 25 employees. In addition, to support employers who hire people in need of social protection, the State Employment Agency pays a prescribed portion of those employees’ wages from the Unemployment Insurance Fund.