Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-10-19

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] PM: Five targets against unemployment

[01] PM: Five targets against unemployment

The first target, he said, is maintenance of the existing jobs and adaptability of businesses. In that direction, there will be financial backing of enterprises hard-hit by recession in order to preserve working positions, through subsidisation of social security contributions, to enable their employees' adaptation to the new conditions and to avert layoffs for reduction of the operational cost.

The second target is the entry of youth to the labor market and acquisition of work experience, which will be effected through local integrated programs or through programs to support new professionals, the premier said.

The third target is the re-entry of unemployed into the job market, through integrated programs for those left unemployed due to mass layoffs by companies, and the issue of a "re-entry check" instead of the traditional "unemployment benefit". The aim, he said, is to keep the unemployed active rather than being "out of commission" in a system that, although protects them, gives no prospect.

The fourth target is the entry of women into the job market and the support of women.

The fifth target is the support of people with a disability and other vulnerable social groups, such as released inmates or substance dependent people "but people who have endless abilities," Papandreou said.

"We are at the point where we decide to either move forward or turn back to bankruptcy, whether we complete the effort or let it go to waste, Papandreou said, and expressed optimism on the country's course, adding that, despite the difficulties, a "wind of change" was blowing now for the first time.

"We must leave behind the outdated attitudes, institutions and practices," he stressed, adding that everything that had not been done over the space of years must now be done in a very short time so that 2011 will be the last year of recession and the country will enter a recovery orbit, from which the first to benefit will be those who are now shouldering the burden.

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