OAED programs for over 100,000 jobs

The Manpower Organization (OAED) is about to unveil a new batch of policies for employment, aimed at the creation of more than 100,000 jobs, as the government tries to bring jobless numbers down.

The main instrument in this effort will be the Recovery and Resilience Fund from the Next Generation EU program, with actions amounting to 500 million euros already approved.

According to OAED director Spyros Protopsaltis, the successful employment programs that have run in the last 12 months and – despite the unprecedented conditions – generated a record number of jobs will be regarded as the pilot phase.

Spyropoulos told Kathimerini that the “new generation” of proactive policies for employment is aimed at responding to the needs of both businesses and the jobless, with strong incentives through increased salary and social security subsidy rates, simplified participation procedures, faster inclusion, hiring and payment processes, as well as the active role of labor consultants.

According to the plans, emphasis will be placed on programs combining the upgrading of skills with employment, and on programs specifically addressing target groups such as those aged up to 45 years old, people facing problems in labor market access, young long-term jobless and women. There will also be some support to enterprises to choose shifting their business interest into “green” fields of the economy.

There currently are six programs on the drawing board, aimed at the employment of a total of 75,000 workers across the country. Besides them, OAED is preparing another set of projects that will be more targeted in terms of regions and special groups. These, for instance, will include labor subsidy programs for 5,000 jobless people aged 30 years or over, but with an emphasis on women, targeting six of the country’s 11 regions.

The focus of planning is on programs subsidizing employment for the creation of jobs, so that companies have the right conditions to expand their staff and give the jobless a chance to get reinstated in the labor market, Protopsaltis told Kathimerini. He added that OAED’s priority is on supporting the country’s workforce and labor market, via targeted and efficient programs promoting employment.