A joint initiative by labor unions, employers, municipalities and the state kicked off on Tuesday. The initiative, which is called Liðsstyrkur, is specially targeted at those who have been unemployed for a long time.

“The goal is to create opportunities for the 3,700 individuals who are about to lose or use up their rights to benefits this year. We estimate that 2,200 jobs have to be created for this group so that no one will lose their benefits without having had a job offer first,” the project’s leader, Runólfur Ágústsson, told ruv.is.

Jobless workers will be offered a six-month position. Those who feel insecure about entering the employment market straight away will be offered employment rehabilitation.

Runólfur stated that the new initiative will prevent those who have abused the system and worked on the black labor market in addition to accepting unemployment benefits from carrying on in the same manner.

The goal is for 60 percent of the new positions to open up on the general employment market, 30 percent at municipality-run and ten percent at state-run institutions. Employment seekers can register on lidsstyrkur.is.

Click here to read more about the initiative and here about the employment situation in Iceland.

ESA