Tallinn Widens Field for Jobs Creation Project
More companies are eligible to take part in a Tallinn-funded jobs creation program now that the City Council has made key changes to the project's parameters.
The support project, backed by nearly 1 million euros from the city budget, is designed to cut down the ranks of the capital's unemployed by paying companies to create new positions for them.
But whereas earlier only companies with at least 30 employees could participate, now businesses with as few as 15 employees are eligible. Non-profit organizations and foundations are also being allowed in for the first time – these only need to have two employees, rus.err.ee reported.
To take part, the companies need to create at least five jobs, and the non-profit organizations three jobs, for a period of six months to a year. Those they hire must be Tallinn residents who are registered as unemployed.
The city covers two-thirds of the new recruits' salaries at minimum wage, leaving the companies to pay for remaining employment costs, including all taxes.
Since the project's creation in 2009, it has led to the creation of 400 jobs for which businesses have been paid nearly 800,000 euros in subsidies, the city's press agency said.
It is separate from a more controversial project undertaken by the city to put the unemployed to work as park maintenance workers and bus attendants - municipal jobs created primarily to employ them.
Steve Roman