“We are very pleased that unemployment is falling and that new workplaces are being created. That we can help these people,” says Ewa Hryciów, director of the Poviat Labour Office in Bolesławiec. In the director’s opinion, the number of unemployed people would be falling even faster if it were not for the fact that some people register at the office solely to obtain health insurance. Another reason for this situation is employers’ very high demands, which are not matched by appropriate wages.
Nevertheless, 2007 was a very good year for our county. The number of registered unemployed people fell by 1,261 (in December, there were 4,049 of them). At the end of last year, the unemployment rate was 13.8%. By comparison, in the neighboring counties (Złotoryja, Lubań and Lwówek), it was over 24%. “The difference is in our favor,” Ewa Hryciów notes.
This does not mean, however, that the Poviat Labour Office intends to rest on its laurels. “This year, we intend to provide employment activation support to difficult clients,” says the director. This applies especially to people without professional qualifications, the long-term unemployed and those who do not intend to look for work themselves. The office also wants to help unemployed people who have found themselves in a difficult situation on the labor market: young people without experience, those over 50, single parents, people with disabilities and former prisoners.
To ensure that unemployment continues to fall, the Poviat Labour Office plans to implement several projects co-financed by European Union funds. One of them is the “New Opportunities Project.” It is estimated that the project will help 315 people enter employment. “We believe that the project will help people realize their potential,” says Ewa Hryciów.
In addition, the office will continue to organize effective training courses. “We organize only courses after which people find employment,” the director emphasizes. “Funding to start a business is also very popular,” she adds. Nearly 140 people took advantage of this offer last year.
(GA information)