European Training Foundation labour market (re-)integration and skills development for persons with disabilities Republic of Moldova

European Training Foundation labour market (re-)integration and skills development for persons with disabilities Republic of Moldova

LABOUR MARKET (RE-)INTEGRATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES – REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA Country note

LABOUR MARKET (RE-)INTEGRATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES – REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA | 02 This country note has been prepared for the European Training Foundation by Gheorghe Bosii. ETF’s Piotr Stronkowski steered the elaboration process and reviewed the draft report. Author: Gheorghe Bosii Peer reviewer: Piotr Stronkowski, ETF

Manuscript completed in February 2026.

The contents of the report are the sole responsibility of the ETF and do not necessarily reflect the views of the EU institutions. © European Training Foundation, 2026

Except otherwise noted, the reuse of this document is authorised under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 international (CC BY 4.0) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This means that reuse is allowed provided appropriate credit is given and any changes are indicated. For any use or reproduction of photos or other material that is not owned by the European Training Foundation, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holders. Deed - Attribution 4.0 International - Creative Commons When citing this report, please use the following wording: European Training Foundation (2026), Labour market (re)integration and skills development for persons with disabilities – Republic of Moldova, Turin

LABOUR MARKET (RE-)INTEGRATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES – REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA | 03 CONTENTS CONTENTS 3 PREFACE 5 1 CONTEXT AND OVERVIEW OF THE SITUATION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES 6 1.1 Context 6 1.2 Statistics on persons with disabilities 6 2 STRATEGIC AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK 8 2.1 Legislative framework 8 2.2 Strategic framework 10 2.3 Institutional framework 11 2.4 Coordination and cooperation mechanisms 12 2.5 Sources of financing 13 3 POLICIES SUPPORTING EMPLOYABILITY 16 3.1 Services supporting the employability of persons with disabilities 16 3.2 Measures supporting the employability of persons with disabilities 16 3.3 Services and measures addressing the needs of war veterans 18 4 POLICIES SUPPORTING THE DEMAND FOR EMPLOYMENT 20 4.1 Quota System 20 4.2 Wage Subsidies 20 4.3 Workplace Adaptation Subsidies 21 4.4 Tax Incentives 22 4.5 Self-Employment and Social Enterprises 22 4.6 Information, Promotion and Positive Practices Measures 23 5 THE LINKAGES BETWEEN EMPLOYMENT AND OTHER POLICY AREAS 25 5.1 From school to the labour market 25 5.2 Skills development opportunities 25 5.3 How social benefits support the employment of persons with disabilities 26 5.4 Access to social services 27 5.5 Accessibility 28 6 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 29 6.1 Conclusions 29 6.2 Recommendations 31 6.3 Best practices 33 ANNEX 35

LABOUR MARKET (RE-)INTEGRATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES – REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA | 04 ACRONYMS 36 REFERENCES 37 Laws and Government Decisions 37 Strategic and Policy Documents 37 International Reports and Assessments 38 Statistical Databases and Information Systems 40 Websites and Online Resources 40

LABOUR MARKET (RE-)INTEGRATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES – REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA | 05 PREFACE The Information Note presents the situation in Moldova related to labour market (re-)integration and skills development for persons with disabilities with special attention on the role of Active Labour Market Policy and Measures. The European Training Foundation (ETF) initiated a mapping of policies and programmes for labour market (re-)integration and skills development for persons with disabilities in several Partner countries, in response to the European Union’s priority to foster social inclusion and economic autonomy of persons with disabilities through employment, as per priorities set out in the EU Disability Employment Package. The main objectives were to conduct a systemic, comparative policy analysis of the support for employment of persons with disabilities and to identify needs for strengthening the capacity of actors in selected EU neighbouring countries. The analysis was conducted in accordance with the framework proposed by the EU Disability Employment Package, with a particular focus on Active Labour Market Policies and skills development dimensions. In Moldova, the methodology consisted in desk review and interviews with the main stakeholders active in the area promotion of employment and inclusion of persons with disabilities. The list of interviewees appears in Annex 1.

LABOUR MARKET (RE-)INTEGRATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES – REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA | 06 1 CONTEXT AND OVERVIEW OF THE SITUATION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES 1.1 Context Moldova is among the countries with the fastest population decline in the world, driven by emigration, ageing, and low fertility. With an estimated 30–40% of the working-age population abroad, remittances (10.5% of GDP in 2024 and 10 - 12% in 2025) provide income stability for many households, including those supporting persons with disabilities, reducing immediate pressure for labour market participation across all social groups1. The Moldovan labour market faces several notable challenges. Data from the Labour Force Survey reveals that, in 2024, labour force participation among individuals aged 20–64 was 59.1%, considerably below the EU-27 average of 80.4%. The employment rate for this age group was 56.8%, compared to 75.8% in the EU-27. Interestingly, the unemployment rate was recorded at 4%, markedly lower than the EU-27 figure of 5.9%. Data shows that the labour market in Moldova faces significant challenges primarily in terms of professional activity due to a large share of the population being outside the labour market2. The population of Moldova also faces severe deprivation. In 2024, 33% of the population lived in monetary poverty. Multidimensional poverty (measuring deprivation in access to health, education, living conditions, and employment) affected 25.6% of the population. The rate was significantly higher in rural areas (37.6%) than in urban areas (10%). These figures highlight the significant socio- economic challenges faced by the Moldovan population, especially for those residing in rural areas3. Overall, Moldova’s demographic contraction, regional imbalances, informal employment patterns, and weak enforcement of inclusion measures create structural barriers that limit labour market participation for persons with disabilities, despite growing labour shortages. 1.2 Statistics on persons with disabilities Reliable data on disability employment in Moldova is limited and fragmented. Information comes from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and administrative systems (ANOFM, CNAS, CNDDCM), but coverage is inconsistent. The LFS provides basic employment indicators but lacks disaggregation by disability type, severity, or education, while administrative records capture only registered unemployed individuals, underrepresenting actual unemployment. Moldova is not part of the EU-SILC survey system coordinated by Eurostat, which hampers access to data on situation of persons with disability. Data gaps also persist on workplace accommodations, employer quota compliance, and informal sector participation, making it difficult to fully assess labour market inclusion. As of January 2025, 160 000 individuals (6.7% of Moldova’s population) are officially recognized as having disabilities (down from 177 000 in 2020). Of these, 86% have severe (requiring constant care) or pronounced disabilities, and 14% moderate. Children aged 0–17 represent approximately 11 400 individuals (2.2% of all children). Women comprise 56% of the population with disabilities, and geographic distribution shows that 61% live in rural areas, 22% in small and medium towns, and only 17% in major municipalities4. Persons with disabilities in Moldova face significant labour market exclusion. According to the LFS, in 2024 the labour force participation rate of persons with disabilities aged 15+ was 18.4%. Participation

1 World Bank, Migration and Development Brief, 2024; UN DESA, World Population Prospects, 2022. 2 National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova, Labour Force Survey, 2024; Eurostat, Labour Market Statistics, 2024. 3 National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova, Poverty Statistics, 2024. 4 National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova, Disability Statistics, 2025.

LABOUR MARKET (RE-)INTEGRATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES – REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA | 07 was slightly higher among men (19.6%) than women (16.9%), and significantly higher in urban areas (25.0%) than in rural areas (15.0%)5. These rates are substantially lower than those observed for the general population. The labour force participation gap between persons with disabilities and general population reached 25 percentage points (p.p.). The gap was wider for men (28 p.p.) and in urban areas (26 p.p.), while slightly smaller for women (24.8 p.p.) and in rural areas (24 p.p.)6. The employment rate of persons with disabilities aged 15+ stood at 17.5% in 2024. Employment was somewhat higher among men (18.5%) than women (16.2%). By place of residence, the employment rate reached 23.2% in urban areas and 14.6% in rural areas. The employment gap between persons with and without disabilities amounted to 25 p.p., highlighting the persistent and systemic exclusion of persons with disabilities from the labour market7. The majority of persons with disabilities are not working due to disability-related limitations or early retirement. Employment status distribution shows that among persons with disabilities, 45% are inactive due to disability, 31% are pensioners, and only 11% are in formal employment, 6% are actively seeking work, and 5% are self-employed (including subsistence agriculture), while 1% are students8. National Employment Agency (ANOFM) shows that in 2024 1475 persons with disabilities registered as job seekers, accounting for 2.5% of all jobseekers. In this group, 822 registered with unemployed status (55%), which constitutes 4% of the total registered unemployed. In 2024, among people with disabilities registered as unemployed, 56% had only primary or secondary education, 22% had vocational training, 9% had college education, and 13% had higher education. By disability degree, 62% had moderate disabilities, 35% severe, and 3% very severe. Overall, 28% of those registered found employment, mostly people with severe or moderate disabilities9. Employment exclusion is reinforced by multiple, interconnected barriers. Research conducted by the National Employment Agency shows that physical and environmental obstacles e.g. inaccessible workplaces, limited transport in rural areas, and lack of accommodations, affects 49% of job seekers. Attitudinal barriers, including employer discrimination (34%), productivity stereotypes, family overprotection, and social stigma also contribute to the difficult situation of persons with disabilities. Structural, human capital, and informational gaps – job scarcity (29%)10, fears of losing disability benefits, weak quota enforcement, low educational attainment, limited vocational training, digital divide issues, and poor awareness of employment rights – further restrict opportunities. These challenges highlight the need for comprehensive, coordinated strategies to promote inclusion and economic participation11.

5 National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova, Labour Force Survey, 2025.