The Regional Director for Employment and Vocational Training highlighted in Capelas, São Miguel Island, the data published today by the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP) regarding August. Once again, they reveal a decrease in the number of unemployed in the Azores and the continuous and sustained integration of Azoreans into the labour market.
 
“Unemployment in the Azores decreased 10.9% in August compared to the same month of 2018, reflecting a decrease of 858 unemployed,” said Paula Andrade. She spoke after a visit to Solar do Conde, a hotel unit that recruited another worker under the measures for qualification and employability implemented by the Regional Government.
 
"The Azores are once again highlighted in the comparison with national averages, seeing that they are again in August the second region of the country where unemployment has dropped the most," stressed the government official.
 
As of late August, 7,040 unemployed looking for a first or a new job were registered at the Regional Agencies for Qualification and Employment.
 
“With regard to job placements, i.e., the response to job offers, there was an increase of 19.2% in the Region in August,” said the Regional Director.
 
"These data also reveal the Government's effort to speed up the integration of Azoreans enrolled in occupational programmes into the labour market. These measures are aimed at complementing and improving the social and professional skills of unemployed people with more social weaknesses," said Paula Andrade.
 
In this regard, she reiterated that, as a result of the economic dynamics, the number of Azoreans included in socio-occupational integration measures has dropped significantly over the last two and a half years, representing “a reduction of 46%.”
 
For the Regional Director for Employment and Vocational Training, the provision of training to the Azorean population “is fundamental to boosting employability and facilitating recruitment by companies, cooperatives or non-profit entities.”
 
Paula Andrade also recalled that the measures that have been implemented to qualify the Azoreans are in accordance with the targets set in the Regional Government's programme.