A new program has been unveiled by the Irish government in a bid to increase the number of people in work in the country.

Employers will be provided with incentives to create positions and hire individuals who have not been in a full-time occupation for more than six months.

Under the plans, PRSI (pay related social insurance) will be waived for bosses establishing such roles for 12 months, potentially saving them around €3,000 over the course of a year.

In order to qualify for the initiative, participants must have been out of work for six months.

Commenting on the Employer Job (PRSI) Incentive Scheme, the taoiseach Brian Cowen explained it will "make it easier for employers to make the decision in favor of creating new jobs and play a significant role in re-establishing people in the workforce".

Ireland's minister for labor affairs Dara Calleary recently declared that the country has a "sufficiently flexible" infrastructure to allow for jobs movement while protecting the rights of employees.

Posted by Fiona Summers