Penza, 25 March 2015. PenzaNews. A regional program “On implementation of additional measures in employment sphere aimed at relieving unemployment situation in the Penza region in 2015” was approved through a regional government decree signed by the governor Vasily Bochkarev.

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According to the text of the regional program available to PenzaNews agency, it was created due to the registered slight decrease of economic activity and workday length shortening because of various forms of part-time employment.

In particular, 26 companies announced their decision to transfer a total of 2,500 workers to part-time employment in January and February.

95% of these employees work in city factories: “Penzadieselmash” (905 workers), “Penzkompressormash” (208), “CSPES NIKIRET” (107), “Penzenskiy Armaturniy Zavod” (110), “Penzenskiye Stroitelniye Materialy” (126), “GrAZ factory” (451), “KZTM” (69), “Kermet” (95), and “Issinskaya DPMK” (60).

Moreover, 1,735 staff members were fired during the layoff programs, and 1,602 more are threatened to be laid off during March-May 2015.

At the same time, the numbers of announced job offers reduced by 23.7%, from 11,852 to 9,042, with a 32.6% decrease for manufacturing-oriented jobs.

The job market tension rating grew from 0.54 to 0.78 unemployed per vacancy, or 144.4%, while the overall unemployment rate grew from 4.6% to 4.7%.

A total of seven enterprises plan to take part in the program, including “Penzadieselmash,” that has been employing its workers on a part-time basis since December 2013, and “Karyeroupravleniye” and “Penzmash,” that plan to shift 65 and 86 workers respectively to part-time jobs as of April 1, 2015.

The program was allocated a budget of 60.4 million rubles, including over 57 million from the state and 3 million from the region itself.

These funds will be mainly used to find part-time employment for people threatened with layoffs and unemployed citizens; preventive education courses and internship programs; and youth employment boost measures during social programs.

To be called successful, the program must direct at least 356 workers to preventive education courses, find part-time employment for no less than 1,136 people, stimulate at least five people aged 22-30 during social project, and bring unemployment rate in the Penza region down to 0.9% in 2015.