Recovery, Renewal, Resilience

A key model (followed by many countries) to help protect jobs, workers and the economy has emphasised job retention through wage subsidies, layoff restrictions, and short-term compensation schemes. In Greece, initial data suggests that job retention was an effective means of reducing large-scale unemployment - and that additional work is needed to create new jobs. This suggest that strategies to protect jobs should also consider proactive policies to enhance employment possibilities for unemployed and otherwise vulnerable workers to avoid long-term chronic unemployment. Consider:

• Investing in training designed for a 'post-COVID-19' labour market e.g. focusing on upskilling in technical and internet-based skills
• Investing in infrastructure in organisations to support new types of jobs and ensure funds are allocated to ensure employees have adequate resources for the job (e.g. hardware and adequate internet access)
• Allocate funding to improve technical systems for effective job search and job matching, alongside relevant skills training for the new job
• Utilise learning from the pandemic about technology adoption and innovation, the digital divide, and the impact this can have on access to employment and ability to undertake work at home or online