Three new government funded programmes for 27.713 unemployed

"We reclaim every available European and national resource in order to reduce unemployment using modern and innovative "tools" said Mr. Vroutsis.

The new programs implemented under a plan that has recently announced Prime Minister, Antonis Samaras , which gives opportunities to to 443,474 unemployed and has a total budget of 1,527,642,069 euro.

The three programmes according to ANA-MPA are:

- Enterprise Subsidy Programme to encourage businesses to hire 10,000 unemployed aged 30-66 years old, which involves a full salary and insurance for one year, budgeted at 54 million euros.

- Enterprise Grant Programmes with up to 10,000 beneficiaries for actions on a local level, targeting projects tailored to local labour markets (TopSA) and local actions for the social inclusion for vulnerable groups (Topeka). The amount of subsidy covers part of the wage bill and the total duration of the program is set to four 4 months with a total cost of the intervention of 17 million euros.

- Interventions for socially vulnerable groups (EKO) which involves coherent actions for social inclusion and integration into the labour market for vulnerable groups (people with disabilities, ex-prisoners, HIV-positive former drug users, etc.). The beneficiaries are 7,713 unemployed in this category and the total expenditure of the program amounts to 79.56 million euros.

The first two projects will be implemented by the Manpower Employment Organisation (Employment Agency) and the third by the Secretariat for Community and other resources of the Ministry of Labour.

For people aged 30-66 years the wage subsidy will last one year and amount to 18 euros per day for up to 25 days per month. The subsidy for each full day of employment for unemployed beneficiaries under 25 amounts to 15 euros a day for up to 25 days a month, while the grant for each full day of employment for unemployed beneficiaries aged 25 and over amounts to 18 euros per day for up to 25 days a month.

More information on the programs can be found on the website www.oaed.gr.