Labor Minister Florin Manole said on Thursday that he would propose implementing a program that aims to stimulate employers to integrate young people under 26 into work.

Manole made this proposal during a press conference at the Social Democratic Party (PSD) headquarters, where the party’s program for investments, jobs and economic development was presented.

„Obviously, there can be no economic development, no investments can be implemented without workforce. (…). The current context shows us that there are problems at the two extremes of the Romanian labor market, and the European context is similar. There is a problem in youth employment and a problem in terms of returning to work the long-term unemployed or people over 55. I will talk about the first category of measures regarding young people, where we have a high level of unemployment. We will make this intervention and this program in favor of young people for access to their first job, in two steps. First of all, we will amend the legislation where necessary, namely in the law on the unemployment insurance budget and employment, after which we will access European funds or we will also use the social insurance budget to finance and stimulate employers to integrate young people under 26 for indefinite contracts – for the first 12 months a stimulus of 1,000 lei, for the next 12 months a stimulus of 1,250 lei, obviously with obligations to keep those who receive this stimulus in their jobs,” said Manole.

He mentioned that this measure is also important to combat unregistered work.

AGERPRES