site.btaAmendments to Promote Employment Passed

Amendments to Promote Employment Passed

Sofia, October 27 (BTA) - Parliament Thursday passed conclusively amendments to the Employment Promotion Act. One of the new measures promotes the mobility of people without work. When a jobless person has been referred by a Labour Office to work in another town or village which is more than 50 km away from their current residence, the person will receive a monthly allowance of about 200 leva in order to pay for their rent, internet access, their children's kindergarten and creche. The monthly allowance will be paid for up to 12 months.

Another amendment stipulates that twice annually, the Employment Commission with the respective Regional Development Council is to collect, process and pass on to the Employment Agency information about what staff are needed by the local employers.

The amendments lift a requirement whereby unemployed people had to use the services of only the Labour Office where they were signed up based on their place of residence.

Commenting the passed amendments, Deputy Chairperson of the parliamentary Committee of Labour, Social and Demographic Policy Svetlana Angelova said that September saw the lowest unemployment rate in the past ten years, 7.7 per cent, against average unemployment of 8.2 per cent in the EU member states.