1.600 candidates were selected Sunday through an electronic ranking who will be employed in state institutions and organs in line with an announcement for hiring people from socially vulnerable groups.

The process was broadcast live by the Macedonian Television (MTV).

The candidates were picked out of 20.000 people who have applied for the jobs.

Attending the live broadcast, Deputy PM and Finance Minister Zoran Stavreski said the project on employing 1.600 people was intended to help cash-stripped groups of citizens.

"Looking into the structure of those who have applied, it is obvious that the candidates are divided into four groups. They have been either unemployed for over 10 years, or are coming from single-parent families. Some of them are from big families or from families in which no one is employed, he stated.

400 jobs are envisaged for each of the four categories.

This is the first time in 22 years that people from socially vulnerable groups are being assisted in such a manner, according to the Deputy PM.

The live broadcast aimed at providing transparency of the selection process in an attempt to eliminate possible influence from human factors.

The candidates were selected by computer software that contained data about the applicants in order the process to be as transparent and fair as possible.