Billion euro boost for jobless youth

A BILLION euros is to be injected into methods of getting young people back into work.

The plans, revealed by President Sarkozy today, follow figures which showed the number of under-25s looking for work had risen by 32% in a year.

Businesses will be exonerated from paying social charges for apprentices, and young people will be paid €400 a month from employers from their second month of work.

The government will double the number of training contracts contrats initiative emploi (CIEs) it helps to fund for those aged under 26.

Around an extra 500 million euros is being put into the project, on top of the 500 million euros already in the budget for 2009.

Sarkozy hopes to give businesses incentives to take on young people, as figures show the number of training contracts has dropped by 30% since 2009.

Businesses, whatever their size, who from today take on young people with a training contract will be exonerated from paying the charges until June 2010.

Those with less than 50 employees will also receive an allowance from the state.

Any business taking on a trainee between now and September on a CDI (contrat à durée indéterminée) basis will also receive financial help.

Special "bridging contracts" will also be established in local authorities with financial help from the government, with the aim of trainees being taken on once fully trained.

Photo: sxc\toto55 Alexander Radev