PHOTO // Moldova's National Employment Agency awards best employers of 2025

The National Employment Agency (ANOFM) today awarded thirteen of the best employers of 2025. They stood out through active cooperation with the territorial employment subdivisions (STOFM) and through the implementation of positive practices aimed at employing more categories of unemployed people.

The event is organized in the context of the 35th anniversary of the creation of the Public Employment Service, the current National Employment Agency.

At the beginning of the event, ANOFM Director Raisa Dogaru stressed that the partnership between the agency and the business community was an essential pillar of a functional, modern and inclusive labor market.

''Cooperation with ANOFM has shown that investment in people – in skills, retraining and professional integration – brings lasting benefits both for the economy and for society. Through your involvement, you have supported the integration into the labor market of people in vulnerable situations, including long-term unemployed, young people, return migrants and people with disabilities. You are an example of social responsibility, openness to dialogue and adaptation to the new realities of the labor market. The results of 2025 show that active employment measures are effective when they are applied in real partnership with employers, not only as an administrative tool. ANOFM reaffirms its commitment to being a reliable partner for the business environment, focused on solutions, digitalization and personalized services. The today’s event is not only a recognition of performance, but also an encouraging message for all employers to actively get involved in the development of human capital of Moldova. I am convinced that only through cooperation between the state, employers and social partners can we build a competitive labor market aligned with European standards,” said Raisa Dogaru.

The ANOFM head also referred to the agency’s activity during 35 years – an institution that has evolved along with the labor market and the needs of the national economy.

“In these 35 years, ANOFM has been directly involved in the development and implementation of the legislative and institutional framework, having various roles: social protection, support for labor market integration, focusing on modern services, policies and long-term partnerships with employers, supported by partners. After 35 years of activity, ANOFM reaffirms its mission to be an open, flexible and results-oriented partner, capable of responding to challenges on the labor market. This anniversary moment is also an opportunity to reflect on the path taken and to make a commitment for the future, in the context of modernizing the labor market and aligning it with European standards. We look ahead with confidence, convinced that the coming years will consolidate ANOFM’s role on the labor market,” emphasized Raisa Dogaru.

Present at the event, Labor and Social Protection Minister Natalia Plugaru said that the modernization of the labor market cannot be achieved only through public policies, but is also built through a close partnership between the state, employers and workers.

“Out of the approximately 5,000 employers who collaborated with ANOFM during 2025, today we present those who stood out through involvement, openness and results. Thanks to the cooperation you had with ANOFM, last year we managed to provide an opportunity to 20,000 people who found a job. This is not just a number – these are thousands of families who have found a workplace, people who have received a new chance, thousands of success stories built together, people who have security for tomorrow, who have social protection and who can support a family. In the next four years, we aim to help 100,000 citizens. This means 25,000 people employed annually,” said Natalia Plugaru.

The minister stressed that, after 35 years of work, ANOFM is no longer just an agency that manages unemployment, but a cooperation platform between state institutions and the business environment, an active partner of employers and real support for people seeking a job.

“We reaffirm our commitment to continue reforms in the field of employment, to strengthen the agency’s capacity and to build a framework for active employment measures. The government last year allocated 34 million lei for labor market integration policies, and this year the budget is 169 million lei. This means a firm commitment, supported not only by words, but also by concrete resources for activating the labor market. We will continue to invest in these employment policies and in the digitalization of services. We are currently working on a modern digital system that will be connected to the European labor market. We will also continue social dialogue with our partners, so that the labor market is flexible, inclusive and aligned with European standards,” noted Natalia Plugaru.

The award ceremony for the best employers is at its sixth edition. It is organized annually in the context of the anniversary of the Public Employment Service, founded on 18 February 1991.