Unemployment

BELGRADE - The success of the government will be measured by the drop in unemployment and the improvement of living standards it achieves, Serbian Minister of Labour, Veteran and Social Affairs Aleksandar Vulin said on Wednesday.

A report of Prime Minister Oresharski on the first year in office of the socialist-led government boasts financial and economic stability, higher incomes, and lower unemployment.

Oresharski was to present the report on Friday in Parliament but the presentation was eventually postponed, according to dnevnil.bg.

By Thanos Tsiros

The coalition government has received a “cheap and efficient” proposal aimed at combating youth unemployment that provides for a three-year suspension of social security contributions to the Social Insurance Organization of Freelance Professionals (OAEE) for new freelancers.

 March unemployment drops to 26.8 pct as tourism boosts hirings

Greece's unemployment rate eased slightly to 26.8 percent in March from an upwardly revised 26.9 percent in the previous month, the country's statistics agency ELSTAT said on Thursday.

The reading, more than twice the euro zone's average of 11.7 percent in April and still hovering near record highs, reflects the impact of Greece's six-year, austerity-fuelled recession. [Reuters]

Greece remained at the top of the eurozone's latest unemployment charts, published by the EU's statistical agency Eurostat on Tuesday.

The economic sentiment index compiled by the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE) reached a six-year high of 99.1 points in May.

The Greek economic think-tank’s index rose from 95.4 points a month earlier.

Greek retail sales by volume fell 0.8 percent in March compared to the same month last year, statistics service ELSTAT said on Friday.

The reading had risen at a revised annual pace of 0.9 percent in February, more than previously estimated.

Some 4 million new unemployed were registered worldwide in 2013 and 3 more million will join them in 2014, according to the annual report of the International Labor Organization.

Employer who employs 10 people will get tax benefits

The law on citizens’ income tax, the debate on changes of which began in the Parliament yesterday, shall be in force as of June 2016. Employers who until then employ up to nine people shall be exempt from payment of 65 percent of the tax.