The Institute of Labour and Social Research is a public research institution with a mission to undertake a theoretical as well as applied research in social sciences. It operates on the basis of contracts with the customers. The Institute is a legal entity having economic, financial, organisational and legal independence. It was founded in 1991. The founder of the Institute is the Ministry of Social Security and Labour.

Activities of the Institute:

• The institute conducts scientific research ((theoretical, methodological and applied ones) on the issues of labour and social policy formation and implementation;

• It actively contributes to the unbiased enlightenment of the society on the problems of labour and social policy and ways for their solution in the country – the Institute publishes (in Lithuanian and foreign publications) the results of surveys and researches conducted by the Institute, organises scientific conferences; the staff of the Institute prepares papers and participates in various scientific conferences and seminars;

• The Institute participates in the education process - – the staff of the Institute lectures in the universities, provides guidance for the students writing their final Masters and post-graduates’ theses, reads lectures for the specialists of various institutions.

The main customer of the Institute is the Ministry of Social Security and Labour. Among others, we could mention the National Labour Exchange, the Central Financing and Contracting Authority, the Lithuanian Labour Market Training Authority, the Board of the State Social Insurance Fund, the Ministry of Economy, the Science and Studies Department of the Ministry of Education and Science, Open Fund-Lithuania, the Department of National Minorities, local labour exchanges, municipalities and county administrations. In 2002 the Institute prepared more than 40 reports of scientific researches (totally, there were more than 350 reports prepared from the day of establishing the Institute).

The Institute has developed a database for social-economic indices of Lithuania. It stores information (since 1995, on the national as well as regional levels) on the standard of living, situation in the labour market, social insurance, social assistance, development of the economy, etc. The use of this database enables to pursue more efficient scientific research.

Staff of the Institute:

• The Institute employs 15 scientific researchers and specialists, out of them: 7 – having a scientific degree, 3 of them are involved in the post-graduate studies;

• Other researchers and specialists needed for certain surveys are hired upon short-term labour contracts (about 30-50 specialists per year).

There are three openly formed divisions at the Institute - standard of living division, employment division and social security division – working on the basis of inter-co-operation. The staff at the Institute maintains close scientific relations with more than 20 science and study institutions in the world, governmental and non-governmental organisations, participates in the activities of international organisations and their projects. European Commission Research and Consulting Limited (ECOTEC) enrolled the Institute in the list of European institutions undertaking labour market research.

The Institute governance:

Activities of the Institute are organised and managed by the administration and collegiate unit – Scientific Council of the Institute, that is formed for 2 years and consists of researchers of the Institute (elected by the staff of the Institute) and two representatives appointed by the Founder – the Ministry of Social Security and Labour.

Members of the Council for 2003-2005 year period

1. Dr. I.Blažienė (Secretary of the Council)
Senior researcher at the Institute of Labour and Social Research

2. Dr. B.Gruževskis (Chairman of the Council)
Senior researcher at the Institute of Labour and Social Research

3. R.Kairelis
State Secretary of the Ministry of Social Security and Labour

4. Dr. R.Melnikienė

5. Dr. V.Safjan
Director of the Social Policy Analysis and Forecasting Department in the Ministry of Social Security and Labour

6. Prof. Dr. Habil. A.Šileika
Director of the Institute of Labour and Social Research

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Main recent projects and surveys performed by the Institute on the issues of standard of living(year):

Survey of the population income, expenditure and taxation with regard to social-economic stratification (2003).

Assessment of the conditions of payment established for politicians, judges, public officials, public servants and for the employees of institutions financed from the state budget who concluded employment contracts (2003).

Problems of minimum wage determination and ways of situation improvement it in the perspective of the development of economy in Lithuania (2002).

Risk assessment of occupational injuries and diseases by economic activity and fixing the rate of contributions for different economic activities (2002).

Criteria for assessing activities of the organisations undertaking rehabilitation of drug-addicted persons and definition of basic social and psychological services provided (2002).

Survey of the population income, expenditure and taxation with regard to social stratification of the society of Lithuania (2001).

Evaluation of a sum lost in case of not paying personal income tax and social insurance contributions due to unofficial employment ( 2001).

Assessment of the level, structure and differentiation of the population income in 1996-1999 (2000).

Survey of the structure of the population income in cash and changes in the proportion of the separate types of income (2000).

Co-ordination of the population income taxation and social security (2000).

Assessment of the population income and expenditure trends with regard to poverty (2000).

Determination of family (single person) wealth and income level to be eligible to social assistance in cash. (2000).

Minimum wage determination (1998-2000).

Programme of the social-economic development and businesses in Kuršių Nerija region (1998-1999).

Implementation of the social assistance model in the community for solving the problems of the standard of living and employment (1997).

Differentiation of the average monthly actual and theoretical wages for the employees in the public sector according to economic activities in Lithuania (1997).

Main recent projects and surveys performed by the Institute on the issues of employment and unemployment (year):

Analysis of the labour market needs in Klaipeda-Taurage, Utena and Marijampole regions (2003).

Identification of family needs for the services provided by the education institutions for pre-school age children as well as other services and conditions to meet them (2003).

Evaluation of indicators of the EU Employment Strategy for 2003-2006 considering Lithuanian conditions (2003).

Evaluation of national employment policy in conformity with European Employment Strategy (2003).

Professiographic inventory schedules targeted at carrier consultations for persons seeking a job and the youth (2003).

Improvement of work quality of Lithuanian Labour Exchange personnel in the client service and work management areas (2003).

Recommendations on the implementation of flexible forms of employment (2003).

Recommendations on the promotion of labour force mobility (2003).

Social and economic analysis of highly unemployed – Druskininkai, Lazdijai, Pasvalys, Akmenė, Mažeikiai – regions and evaluation of the causes of labour market changes as well as analysis of vacancies dynamics, and monitoring methodology preparation (2003).

Labour market situation analysis of the unemployed registered in territorial labour exchanges for more than one time as well as proposals for their employment improvement (2003).

Determination of the indicators for evaluation of possible impact on employment and unemployment issues of laws, programmes and concept projects submitted to the Government (2003).

The competitiveness of university graduates in the context of labour supply and demand (with the reference to the data of the survey of employers and university graduates employed in their companies) (2003).

Labour market vocational training as a measure for co-ordinating of labour supply and demand (2003).

Analysis of the labour market needs in Klaipeda-Taurage, Utena and Marijampole regions (2002).

Survey of the situation of the unemployed with higher education on the labour market and proposals to increase their employment (2002).

Professiographic inventory schedules targeted at carrier consultations for persons seeking a job and the youth (2002).

Working out a concept of job monitoring system (2002).

Development of occupational skills of the staff at the Lithuanian Labour Exchange in improving the quality of services provided to the clients (2002).

Competitiveness of the specialists on the labour market (2002).

Assessment of the need for Vocational Training of Adults and its efficiency in Lithuania (2002).

Survey of the social-economic efficiency of local employment initiatives (2002).

Improvement of employment and labour market policy measures on the national and municipal levels (2002).

Analysis of employment and situation on the labour market, tendencies and prognoses for 2003-2007 (2002).

Adaptation of employees belonging to the main profession groups to the structural changes in economy (2001).

Quality of educating teachers in higher schools in Lithuania and possibilities for their employment (2001).

Professiographic inventory schedules used for carrier consultations for persons seeking a job and the youth (2001).

Survey of long-term unemployed persons registered in the local labour exchanges (2001).

Prognosis on the number of employees for 2002-2005 according to main profession groups (2001).

Assessment of the differentiation of regions in Lithuania in the context of the EU regional policy (2001).

Programme for supporting employment in Pasvalys region (2001).

Programme for supporting employment in Skuodas region (2001).

Social costs of closing Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (2001).

Prognosis on the key indices of the labour market for 2002-2005 (2001).

Development of local employment initiatives in Lithuania (2001).

Improvement of work performed by the staff of local labour exchanges in servicing the unemployed and activities of job clubs (2001).

The youth situation on the Lithuanian labour market (2000).

Survey of motivation of the youth registered at the local labour exchanges, territorial mobility and the possibilities for their integration into the labour market (2000).

Vocational training and activation measures on the labour market (2000).

Improvement of the policy regarding labour force competitiveness in the process of integration of Lithuania into the European Union (2000).

Development of vocational training for the unemployed and persons having notice of dismissal in Lithuania in 1991- 2000 (2000).

Development of unemployment prevention in Lithuania (2000).

Influence of economic changes upon the regional labour markets (2000).

Assessment of efficiency in applying active labour market policy measures (2000).

Co-ordination of the population employment and labour market policies on the national level (2000).

Survey of the possibilities to implement the National Action Plan for Employment Development (2000).

Trends of improving the correspondence of labour force supply to demand (according to profession groups) (2000).

Prognoses on employment and unemployment by 2003 (2000).

Prognosis on the persons studying in high, higher and vocational schools as well as taking labour market vocational training courses for 2001-2003 (2000).

Programme for supporting employment of the population in Didžiasalis (2000).

Economic characteristics of the different regions of Lithuania (2000).

Official ethics for the staff at the local labour exchanges and improvement of consulting skills (2000).

Allocation of the functions and liability of public institutions in the area of employment policy formation and implementation (1999).

Analysis of financial rates of the Labour Market Training Centres (1999).

Monitoring of Lithuanian labour market policy (in co-operation with the experts from the Labour Ministry of Denmark) (1999).

Development of the professional rehabilitation system for the disabled (1999).

Possibilities for strengthening the interrelation between labour market vocational training and the needs of enterprises (1999).

Vocational training in Klaipeda region and labour force demand and supply (1999).

Programme for supporting employment of the population in Akmene region (1999).

Programme for supporting employment of the population in Jonava region (1999).

Middle term (by 2002) and long-term (by 2010) prognoses on employment and unemployment (1999).

Survey of prognosis on the need for the specialists with higher (university) education (1999).

Prognosis on the persons studying in high, higher and vocational schools as well as taking labour market vocational training courses for 2000-2002 (1999).

Identification and layout of the regions by the general indices of their social-economic development in order to improve social security of the population in the country (1999).

Prognoses on the employed in agriculture by 2002 (1999).

Assessments of Lithuanian labour market supply and demand (1998).

Researches of the efficiency of vocational training for adults (1998).

Researches of the efficiency of vocational training for adults (1997).

Main recent projects and surveys performed by the Institute on the issues of social security (year):

Draft guidelines for identifying the needs of an individual for social services (2003).

Working out of a strategy for the provision of social assistance to mentally sick persons or persons with mental disability and proposals for identifying an optimal proportion between the residential care and community social services (2003).

Working out of the proposals for the reorganisation of the system of children care in public and non-governmental children care institutions (2003).

Analysis of the system of professional rehabilitation of the disabled and conclusions for working out a strategy (2003).

Assessment of the provision of social assistance for persons with heavy disability, working out of the conclusions and recommendations regarding their further support (2003).

Evaluation of the possibilities of severely disabled people’ integration to the labour market. (2003).

Social and Professional Needs Assessment of the Refugees and their Family Members, Sheltered in Lithuania (2003).

Social assistance/Long-term unemployment (2002).

Working out the guidelines for planning the need for compensation facilities for the disabled and regional distribution (2002).

Assessment of the need for non-institutional social services and analysis of the services provided by non-institutional service institutions, their costs by different social groups (2002).

Drafting of the guidelines for identifying special needs and recommendations-proposals for working out the procedure for identifying special needs and applying special assistance measures (2002).

Assessment of care of children living in the families (2002).

Assessment of the organisation of children care at the non-governmental children care institutions and working out of the procedure for accreditation and licensing of these institutions (2002).

Social assistance/Long-term unemployment (2001).

Guidelines for establishing a “basket” of basic services, fixing price for it and prices for additional services in care houses (2001).

Assessment of the system for providing the disabled with compensatory facilities in Lithuania in the light of satisfaction of the needs, availability and costs (2001).

Assessment of the adaptation of environment to people with disability in urban and rural municipalities (2001).

Systematic assessment of the activities performed by various types of children care institutions in the region (county, municipality) in the light of applying advanced forms of children care (2001).

Sociological survey of Roma living in gypsy encampments in Vilnius city (2001).

Sociological survey of social and professional needs of the sentenced persons (2001).

Comparative analysis of the activities of day centres (2000).

Research of the social-economic efficiency of social services in municipalities (1999).

Assessment of the economic efficiency of social assistance to families with children (1999).

Strategy for the development of social services in Lithuania (1999).

Assessment of the activities of the institutions providing institutional social services for elderly persons and social-economic evaluation of their residents (1999).

Assessment of the activities of projects financed by the Programme for the Development of Social Services Infrastructure (1999).

Equal opportunities for the disabled: analysis of social policy towards the disabled in Lithuania (1998).

Equal opportunities for the disabled: research of the attitudes, hopes, assessments and needs of the disabled in Lithuania (1998).

Projects implemented by the Institute in 2004:

Preparation of the jobs evaluation technique.

Creation of tentative social map model.

Evaluation of the implementation of PHARE Consensus III project recommendations in all Lithuanian municipalities.

Measures for Implementation of EU Employment Strategy.

Evaluation of employment policy implementation measures and recommendations for their improvement.

Scientific research - The improvement of employment and remuneration forms in Joint-stock Company “Lietuvos geležinkeliai”.

Evaluation of the demand for the Executive MPA (Master of Public Administration) Programme for Lithuanian senior public sector administrators and their possibilities to study in English.

Social dialog and conflict resolution mechanisms in Lithuania.

Evaluation of the efficiency of labour market vocational training.

Monitoring of labour market vocational training.