The Republic of Moldova has aligned its Classification of Occupations with the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations system (ESCO).

As part of this process, 5,500 occupational codes in Moldova were mapped against more than 3,000 European occupational concepts, with methodological and technical support from the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme.

This mapping enables the Republic of Moldova to use a common system with European countries for describing occupations and skills on the labour market. It will also contribute to better connecting Moldova’s employment services to the European Network of Public Employment Services (PES Network).

“This alignment represents a concrete step in preparing Moldova’s public employment service for the country’s European path and for a labour market that is more connected to the European Union. By using a common system for occupations and skills, we are creating the conditions for the experience, skills and qualifications of Moldovans to be more easily understood and valued at the European level. This process will also contribute to developing a more modern, data-driven employment service that is better connected to the actual needs of the labour market,” said Felicia Bechtoldt, State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.

In 2025, the United Nations Development Programme and the Government of Switzerland supported Moldova in initiating the process of integration into the European Employment Services (EURES). Through EURES, Moldovan citizens will have access to safe employment opportunities offered through the Public Employment Services of European Union Member States, the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, and published on the European EURES portal, eures.europa.eu. 

As EURES uses ESCO as its classification system, the Republic of Moldova has taken an important step towards integration into this European infrastructure by aligning its national Classification of Occupations with ESCO. 

Going forward, the United Nations Development Programme, with the support of the European Union, will support the development of the Labour Market Information System, a digital system that will enable better-structured data, improved employment forecasts and more efficient employment services.

In recent years, the United Nations Development Programme, with the support of the European Union, Switzerland and Japan, has supported the National Employment Agency in modernising services for people looking for work. This support has included renovating and equipping the Agency’s territorial offices, supporting mobile teams, creating child-friendly spaces, developing the Agency’s job vacancy portal, and strengthening its capacity to analyse the labour market.