There were 109.557 unemployed persons in Slovenia at the end of July. The Employment Service informed that the figure was 0,6 percent less than in June, and 5,7 percent less compared to the same period last year. Those over the age of 55 are still a hardly employable category, with a risky outlook to remain unemployed in the long-term. Their low level of education and health issues are just some of the obstacle as they try enter the labour market.
At the end of June there were almost 22 thousand registered unemployed over the age of 55, mostly from central Slovenia and the majority of them men. Half of them either have an incomplete primary school record, have completed primary school education, or have vocational education. The biggest reasons for their loss of employment are the expiry of their work contracts and redundancy.
"The desperate calls we get from the older population reveal that there are no job opportunities for these people. A fired accountant from Nova Gorica told me that she's supported by her daughter, who works as a student. She can't even find a job as a cleaning lady because she's too old, despite the fact that she's a qualified accountant," said Lučka Böhm, a representative of the Slovenian Association of Free Trade Unions (ZSSS).
The unions are advocating a new package of measures, which would stimulate the employment of older people. "It could be called a guarantee for the older ones. But it's not only the responsibility of the Ministry of Labour. The Ministry of Finance, where all the documents end up, is also responsible," says Goran Lukič from the ZSSS.
Between the years 2008 and 2014 almost 37 thousand older people were included in measures which involved three programs: Stimulating the employment of older unemployed persons, Program 50plus, and the Work inclusion of older persons program. Future measures will be known once the new EU Financial Perspective is planned out.