The Greek government is preparing a new program to encourage employment in mountainous, remote and harder-to-reach areas in the country by subsidizing 90% of the salary and social security contributions of registered unemployed people hired to work remotely for one year, Labor and Social Security Minister Niki Kerameos said on Friday.

The measure is designed to give businesses an incentive to recruit people living in areas where employment opportunities are limited, while allowing wage-earners to remain in their native communities rather than relocating to larger urban centers.

Labor and Social Security Minister Niki Kerameos

“If a business hires someone from one of these very isolated and remote areas for remote work, we will subsidize 90% of the salary and contributions for one year,” Kerameos said, describing the scheme as a way to strengthen communities that face greater employment and demographic pressures.

The government has increasingly linked employment policy with efforts to address population decline and support Greece’s regions. Recent initiatives have focused on making permanent residence in remote areas more viable through employment, investment and relocation incentives.

She also announced an expansion of a subsidized employment program for unemployed women, with subsidies covering up to 70% of wages and social security contributions and an additional 5,000 positions. She said female unemployment has fallen significantly but remains an area where further improvement is possible.

Youth unemployment among people under 25 has also declined, reaching 15%, according to the minister.

The government is also seeking to address labor shortages by encouraging Greek citizens who moved abroad during the economic crisis to return. Kerameos announced a new “ReBrain Greece” event in Munich in late November, continuing an initiative that has brought Greek professionals abroad into contact with employers back in the country.