WIREDGOV

Italy receives an extra €1.5 billion under REACT-EU to hire more young people and women, improve the skills of workers and jobseekers, and support Italy's economic recovery. These funds will be made available in addition to the previous €4.5 billion disbursed for similar support under Italy's national operational programme “Active employment policies” funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) originally proposed in September 2021.

The new funding will support:

• Job creation in southern regions: €1.2 billion allow a 30% reduction of social security contributions due by small businesses for their workers in the regions of Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia. To be eligible, the companies must employ the workers for at least nine months after the reduction has been requested.
• Youth employment: €139.1 million go towards reducing the social security contributions due by employers who hire people under 36 with open-ended contracts during the year of 2022. Over 48,000 young people are expected to benefit from this measure.
• Recruitment of women: €88.5 million to reduce (by up to €6,000 per year) the social security contributions due by employers who hire women during the year of 2022. More than 54,000 women are expected to benefit from this measure.
• Green and digital skills training: almost €280,000 from the ‘New Skills Fund' compensate the hours during which staff attend trainings to acquire new green and digital skills. More than 5,700 companies are expected to benefit from this measure.

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