Georgia ends public employment program as labor market tightens

Georgia’s public employment program for socially vulnerable citizens is set to end as the government winds down the initiative after its planned four-year cycle. Deputy Finance Minister Giorgi Kakauridze confirmed that the program, launched in 2022 under then–Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, will not continue into 2025.

The scheme had provided jobs to roughly 40,000 people by 2024, but Kakauridze noted that its original purpose was temporary: to cushion unemployment during the post-COVID period. As he stated, labor market conditions have since shifted, with shortages now replacing the earlier surplus.

Continuing to place people in publicly funded work, he argued, would worsen these shortages. Instead, the state intends to transition from being an employer to a facilitator. Support will now focus on retraining participants and preparing them to enter private-sector jobs rather than keeping them in public works roles.

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