Kildare South Fine Gael TD Martin Heydon is encouraging employers to consider the Jobs Plus Incentive scheme when hiring new full time staff. The new scheme which went live on July 1st, will incentivize and reward employers who employ jobseekers from the live Register.
“The new Jobs Plus scheme replaces two previous schemes which had proven cumbersome for employers. This scheme will give tax free cash payments of €7,500 or €10,000 spread over a two year period to employers who take on job seekers who have been on the live register for over 12 months and 24 months respectively.”
“The application process has been simplified and employers can register their company at jobsplus.ie. Once eligibility is confirmed, the employer can begin their recruitment process as normal.
“Potential employees can also use the jobsplus website to verify their own eligibility to be hired through the scheme. Having confirmation of eligibility for this scheme may be an additional asset for any job seeker seeking employment. If anyone has any queries on the scheme, they can contact my office on 045-4876234 for further information.”
“The creation of jobs has been a key target of this Government. While unemployment remains unacceptably high, there are some signs of improvement. Employment increased by 7,700 in Q1 2013. This is the third quarter in a row that employment has increased on a seasonally adjusted basis. This is an increase of 20,500 jobs in the 12 months since Q1 2012 and the second successive quarter showing an annual increase in employment.
“We inherited a jobs market in free fall with 250,000 jobs lost in the private sector from 2008 to 2010. Jobs are now increasing by 2,000 per month since the launch of Action Plan for Jobs in Feb 2012. The new Jobs Plus scheme is a continuation of our efforts in this regard.”