Galery

1

50,000 jobs are created from the beginning of the year as a result of the new programs of the labour offices in collaboration with the Ministry of Employment and Social Security. The programs are funded entirely by Euro-grants awarded under the National Framework Agreement for Stability and Development (ESPA). The funds utilized represent 7.56% of the total allocation of € 2.9 billion to the labor ministry. All this was announced at a press conference convened by the Minister of Employment and Social Security Andreas Loverdos. He stressed that the government and mostly his Ministry have been extremely embarrassed  and involved in drafting the new labor law. This, however, did not impede them working for the opening of new jobs despite the difficult economic conditions in the country.

According to statistics, most jobs are created in tourism, which are mainly related to seasonal employment. Therefore, experts foresee that the problem with the rate of the unemployed will return in full force at the end of October this year. The Ministry launched a new program to assist tourism enterprises and to mitigate the boomerang effect. The employees approved under this program will be able to keep their job as the labor offices will subsidize part of their salary, thus reducing the operating costs of employers.

The government plans to create 65,000 more jobs by the end of the year. Tthe Ministry of Employment and the labour offices in the country will use a total of about € 530 million by December 2010. It is expected a new program to be launched that will integrate specific social groups to the economic life of the country. The chairman of the Labour Force Employment Organization (OAED) Iliyas Kikiliyas said that poor, disabled, former prisoners and drug addicts that have undergone treatment will have the opportunity to start their own business with low interest or interest-free loans provided by the new program .

As for the social policy, the Ministry is committed to open new kindergartens, providing € 45 million. The problem with the vacancies in state kindergartens has been a topic of the day for many years. About 30,000 approval applications for day care programs are received from the beginning of the year, which could not be met due to lack of facilities and personnel. Iliyas Kikiliyas promised that the Ministry will finance projects for the construction of new kindergartens through the National Framework Agreement for Stability and Development. The budget for the next three years amounts to € 100 million.