Social enterprises increased 23% in 2007 from 49 to 64. 40 of the 64 are for thedisabled.
More companies are using support and concessions granted by the state.
More disabled people are involved in the labour market with 87 new workplaces created in 2007.
The number of residents decreased from 1990 to 2007 by 3.69 million to 3.38 million or 8.4%, the number of residents older than 65 years of age
increased from 12.5% in 1996 to 15.6% in 2007 and finally the number of children up to 14 years of age decreased from 21.6% to15.6%.
Conseqently theere bwas a great influence on the Lithuanian labour market. From 1998 to 2007, the labour force in Lithuania decreased by more than
100 thousand mainly due to intensive emigration of the ablebodied population of Lithuania.
Therefore, the increased use of economically inactive residents (unemployed students, pensioners, disabled, convicts, etc.) in the labuor market is
required.
Disabled persons are usually the group that has most difficulty integrating into the labour market.
Though the number of registered disabled unemployed people in Lithuania increased, as did the number of employed disabled people, it is necessary
to pay special attention to the occupation of the social groups, which undergo difficulties of integration into the labour market.
Therefore, an initiative to enhance the motivation of the disabled to get actively involved in the labour market and help persons searching for work is required.
The timescale for implementing the Initiative is continuously from the adoption of the Law on Social Enterprises in 2004 The specific objectives are to encourage the occupation of
the disabled by supporting employment, social enterprises also the development of social enterprises to improve their activities.
The initiative addressed the objectives by the adoption of the Law on Social Enterprises of the Republic of Lithuania on 1 June 2004 to support persons in target groups (disabled, longterm unemployed, persons of preretirement age, persons returning from custodial institutions, single parents raising children), who have lost working capacity, who are economically inactive,
unable to compete in the labour market on equal terms, to encourage their comeback to the labour market, their social integration, and reduce their social exclusion.
Social enterprise became a legal entity when at least 40% of the employees belong to the target groups and number at least 4, where it is engaged in training of working and social skills and social integration of employees, and where income from the non supportable activities of the enterprises amount to no more than 20%. The enterprise can be granted a partial compensation of the wages and state social insurance contributions, subsidy for the creation and accommodation of the workplaces for disabled employees,
acquisition or accommodation of means of work, as well as subsidy for training of the employees in the target groups.
Additional support has been provided for the social enterprises for the disabled in the form of variousr subsidies relative to accommodation of the work environment and rest rooms,
administration, transport, sign language. In addition the enterprise has the benefit of zero profits tax rate and public procurement according to the simplified procedure and the loan of premises.
Since 2004, the social enterprises have been managed by the Lithuanian Labour Exchange under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour as well as 46 territorial job centres.