Employment created in 2021 by projects supported by the 2014-2020 RDP

Several measures under the 2014-2020 RDP support the promotion of the local economy through the creation of sustainable jobs, utilisation of local resources, and strengthening social cohesion, networking, collaboration and innovation.

Job creation is one of the objectives of the RDP's Measures (M) 4.2 (investments in the processing and marketing of agricultural products) and M6.4 (investments in economic diversification in rural areas towards non-agricultural activities), as well as LEADER M19.2 (implementation of local development strategies) and M19.3 (Preparation and implementation of cooperation measures by local action groups). The compilation and submission of the total number of jobs created as a result of supported projects is an input for the RDP annual implementation report. In addition to the required data, the creation of new jobs through the M16 cooperation measure has also been analysed as part of the evaluation of the results and impacts of the 2014-2020 RDP.

To assess the achievement of these RDP objectives, target indicators 'T20' (for supported projects' created jobs) and 'T23' (for jobs created through supported LEADER measure projects) are used, along with result indicators 'R21' and 'R24', which are defined as the number of jobs created as a result of investment, adjusted over time (in full-time equivalents). The respective indicators do not include retained jobs. The indicators are presented by gender distribution.

Result indicator R21/T20 reflects the number of jobs created through projects supported under M4.2 (partially) and M6.4, contributing to Focus Area 6A (diversification of activities, creating and developing micro-enterprises, and facilitating job creation).

Result indicator R24/T23 indicates the number of jobs created through projects supported under M19.2 and M19.3, contributing to Focus Area 6B (promotion of rural development).

A web survey was conducted to determine the number of new jobs created as a result of the investment. All data used in the survey regarding completed projects, paid subsidies and eligible investment costs are sourced from the Paying Agency's (Agricultural Registers and Information Board) database and covers the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021. Through a web survey, respondents were asked about the number of jobs created due to investments, as well as their gender distribution and job titles.

The extrapolation of the data obtained from the survey was conducted separately for each measure. The basis for expanding the data was the overall structure of the investment expenditure groups for projects completed in 2021.

The evaluation found that 510 new jobs have been created (indicator R21/T20) for projects completed between 2016 and 2021, contributing to the objective of Focus Area 6A. This forms 182.1% of the target set for 2025.

For projects contributing to the objective of Focus Area 6B (indicator R24/T23), a total of 1452.8 new jobs have been created between 2016 and 2021 (indicator R24/T23). This constitutes 85.5% of the target set for 2025.