Revolutionizing our thinking about employment issues

Establishing a more coherent relationship between supply and demand of qualified workers, promoting professional development and updating of knowledge, as well as improving the innovation system and income distribution, are strategic guidelines intended to address employment problems in the country.

Toward this end, a total of 57 measures to be implemented immediately, in the short and medium term, proposed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security and the University of Havana’s Economics Department were recently evaluated by Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, during a review of employment programs.

According to the Presidency’s official website, during the meeting, Díaz-Canel stressed the need to consider offsite work, with adequate supervision and contracts adhering to the Labor Code. He called for studies to determine in which sectors of the economy this modality would be feasible.

Revolutionizing our thinking about employment issues and applying research findings were emphasized by the President.

Programs addressing the country’s demographics were also discussed, including efforts to provide medical support to infertile couples who would like to have children.

Marino Murillo Jorge, head of the Policy Implementation and Development Commission, reported that there are 113,148 such couples identified within the Public Health system, who are of childbearing age, have stable sexual relations, and have tried to have a child for more than a year without success. Of that number, some 102,900 have been assisted, with 7,080 pregnancies achieved.Also discussed was progress on approved government measures to provide financing to mothers with three or more children under 12 years of age, for the rehabilitation, maintenance, and construction of their homes, in 32 municipalities where the population is not growing. Some 50 million pesos were allocated, but implementation of the plan has been slow.

IN CONTEXT

With 20.4% of Cuba’s population 60 years of age or older, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics and Information (ONEI), the country is experiencing accelerated aging.Between 2011 and 2025, the population is projected to decrease in absolute numbers; and almost 26% of the population will be 60 years of age or older, with a absolute growth of those aged 80 years or more. By 2030, the population will include 3.3 million older adults, directly impacting families and the workforce.