The Czech Republic’s initiative to support part-time work has generated 22,000 new jobs. The scheme, which offers social insurance discounts, was utilized by 83,341 people at the end of last year, a third more than at the beginning of March. This was announced by Marian Jurečka, the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, who noted that this was most frequently relevant to parents of young children and people nearing retirement.
The five percent discount on insurance premiums is aimed at groups of people who cannot work full-time. These include people over 55, parents or foster parents caring for children under ten, those with health disabilities, students under 26, young people up to 21, and the long-term unemployed. For young people, the discount can even be applied to full-time employment.
The scheme has been in operation since February last year. According to Jurečka, the aim is to “facilitate access to the labor market for all those who may have difficulty finding employment.” He added that this allows employees to balance their family life with work.
According to the minister, about three-quarters of those applying for the discount are women, with a quarter being people over sixty. Including those over 55, they make up almost 36.5 percent. Nearly 39 percent are caregivers for small children, more than nine percent are handicapped, and more than 12.5 percent are young employees under 21.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is considering extending this insurance discount to other specific groups, such as people returning from serving a prison sentence because they often struggle to find work. “For employers, this could also mean providing advice for these people,” Jurečka clarified.
In total, the discount was used by 25,800 employers last year. The relief amounted to 876.7 million korunas.