An overview of the results of the research project  «Professional Education and Retraining during the Restructuring of Russia’s Economy: the Role of the Government Employment Agency»   carried out 2001-2002 within the framework of the program  «Social Policy: Realities of the 21st Century»   under the sponsorship of Soros Foundation. The aim of research was to analyze the efficiency of professional education and retraining of the unemployed on the basis of the available statistics and information gathered during a special survey of the work of the Federal Government Agency of the Population Employment (employment centers in 5 regions of the RF – the Moscow Region, the Samara Region, the Kemerovo Region, the Perm Region, the Komi Republic were selected for the project).