The "Action Plan for 2026–2030 on the Implementation of the Employment Strategy," approved by the Decree of President Ilham Aliyev, defines the next five-year phase of employment policy in the country. According to the Decree, the monitoring and evaluation of the Action Plan's implementation will be carried out by the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC). The new document is not a separate initiative from the 2020–2025 Action Plan, but rather a logical continuation of the policy and institutional base established in the previous phase.

Elnur Alakbarov, Head of the Economic Analysis Department at the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), stated that the main directions in the previous Action Plan were identified as improving the normative-legal and institutional frameworks of the labor market, developing workforce skills, expanding active employment programs, social dialogue, reducing informal employment, monitoring, and forecasting. In the new plan, these areas have been further developed based on more concrete mechanisms, target groups, and results. Additionally, employment-oriented economic development and support for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have been included in the document as a distinct priority.

The new Action Plan covers 50 measures across six priority areas. In this new phase, preference is given to targets and their alignment with concrete results rather than the sheer number of measures. Defining initial, intermediate, and final outcomes for these measures forms a results chain that allows for the consistent tracking of expected changes from activities.

According to Elnur Alakbarov, defining employment-oriented economic development as a separate priority indicates that employment policy is being approached from a broader economic perspective. Stimulating investment and startup activity in the regions, supporting MSMEs, applying modern technologies in the agricultural sector, and developing tourism are aimed at expanding demand for the labor force. Thus, employment policy encompasses not only providing jobs for unemployed persons and job seekers, but also developing an economic environment where productive and sustainable jobs are created.

Digitalization acts as one of the primary management tools of the employment system in the new phase of the Action Plan. The electronization of employment services, creation of AI-based services, automated monitoring mechanisms, expansion of regional "DOST" infrastructure, and establishment of regional vocational training centers will enhance the efficiency and accessibility of services.

Measures regarding skills development also continue the general directions of the previous phase using more concrete tools. The creation of an "Electronic Atlas of Professions," updating professional and qualification standards, developing essential skills for the green economy, expanding dual vocational education, workplace learning, and recognizing non-formal skills will strengthen the links between education and the labor market. These measures envisage preparing the workforce not only for current vacancies, but also in accordance with the prospective development directions of the economy.

The targeted nature of active employment programs is also more clearly visible in the new Action Plan. Women, youth, graduates of state childcare institutions, and other individuals experiencing difficulty finding employment are considered not as a uniform group, but as target groups with distinct needs. Encouraging individuals involved in the self-employment program to operate as official business entities is also noteworthy in this regard. The goal is not merely a person's participation in the program, but the transformation of their activity into a sustainable business and formal employment.

Monitoring and forecasting of the labor market are among the more targeted directions of the new plan. Studying employers' demand for professions and skills through annual surveys, tracking graduates' transition into the labor market, evaluating the impacts of minimum wage increases, and forecasting workforce movement will create conditions for data-driven decision-making. This approach will allow for tracking changes that have occurred in the labor market while proactively determining future demand.

The CAERC Department Head added that the Action Plan for 2026–2030 transitions employment policy into a more targeted, digital, and result-oriented phase while preserving the institutional and policy foundation created in the previous stage. The implementation of the plan will serve to expand formal and productive employment, improve alignment between skills and jobs, increase employment opportunities in the regions, and strengthen a forecasting-based approach in labor market management.