Algeria Allocates Over DZD 420 Billion to Unemployment Benefits
The Minister of Labor, Employment, and Social Security, Abdelhak Saihi, today inaugurated the first national conference on ‘Employment and Evaluation of Unemployment Benefit Management and Mediation for Job Opportunities’ at the Family Center in Ben Aknoun. The conference was attended by several government officials, including the Minister of State, the Minister of Hydrocarbons and Mines, the Minister of Industry, the Minister of Internal Trade and Regulation of the National Market, the Minister of Communication, and the Minister of Vocational Training and Education, as well as the Governor of Algiers. The Secretary-General of the General Union of Algerian Workers, the President of the Algerian Economic Renewal Council, and the President of the General Confederation of Algerian Enterprises were also present, along with senior officials and representatives from various sectors.
In his opening address, Minister Saihi emphasized that organizing this conference represents a significant national milestone aimed at evaluating public policies in the field of employment, strengthening joint action between various stakeholders, and exploring new horizons for building a modern and organized labor market that keeps pace with the rapid changes the world is witnessing. He explained that this consultative meeting reflects the state’s commitment, under the wise leadership of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, to prioritize the issue of employment as the cornerstone of national development, guaranteeing social stability, and a constitutional right for every citizen.
The Minister highlighted that the various reforms launched by the state, such as eliminating precarious work, issuing the new investment law, creating the self-entrepreneur scheme, and establishing a ministry dedicated to the knowledge economy and startups, aim to support young people and expand the range of opportunities available to them. He also stressed the importance of intensifying evaluation meetings to explain the methods and mechanisms that allow for the creation of jobs, encourage initiatives, and keep pace with the economic dynamics at the national level.
Regarding current challenges, the Minister pointed out that technological, demographic, and climatic developments necessitate the adoption of innovative visions and more flexible and effective employment policies, especially with the profound changes in work patterns, the increasing demand for digital skills, the emergence of the green economy and remote work, and the persistence of the informal economy, which requires careful and sustainable treatment. He revealed that the state has allocated more than DZD 420 billion to unemployment benefits. The Minister affirmed that the Ministry of Labor has adopted a reform path based on strengthening the digitization of mediation, through modernizing employment agencies and developing digital platforms that allow for controlling statistical data and improving the transparency of job offers.
