On May 6, 2025, the Somogy County Government Office held an employers’ forum regarding the ongoing Economic Development and Innovation Operational Program Plus projects. At the event, participants heard about the expansion and development of the labour supply as well as cross-border cooperation of employment services.
The regulatory framework for the 2021–2027 programming period introduced a new category for EU-wide programs, called “operations of strategic importance,” more simply referred to as Pillars. The purpose of the Pillars is to highlight key, emblematic operations and emphasize their contribution to cohesion policy, bringing the European Union and its programs closer to citizens. One significant Pillar of EDIOP Plus is the measure titled “Expansion and Development of the Labour Supply,” which is implemented nationwide.
Under the project, a total of HUF 78.4 billion is available countrywide, of which HUF 3.57 billion is allocated in Somogy to support job seekers and inactive persons over the age of 30. Since the program’s launch, 937 applications have been submitted from Somogy, out of which fixed four- or six-month wage subsidies were granted in 754 cases, 24 people received mobility support, and 159 were provided job-seeking incentives for training participation. The total amount of requested support exceeded HUF 1 billion, with HUF 800 million being realized as support. At the end of April, there were 10,356 registered job seekers in Somogy County, which is 3.8% fewer compared to the same period last year — the most favorable April data in the past 25 years.
