More than 160 young people have already benefited from Salary Promotion Measure of "+ Youth" package - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Juventude, Habitação e Emprego

The Regional Government is implementing measures to support the attraction and establishment of young talents in the Region, not only through support for young residents but also for those who have left the archipelago to pursue their studies and are now returning to begin their careers in the Azores.

One of the most recent measures created through the Regional Secretariat for Youth, Housing and Employment is the Salary Promotion Measure, included in the "+Youth" package, from which 169 young people are already benefiting.

The Salary Promotion Measure consists of two types of support: one aimed at attracting talent and the other focused on maintaining talent. Both take the form of financial support and will remain in effect for five years.

The maximum amount of support to be awarded for attracting talent is set at 2,000 Euros for graduates, 5,000 Euros for master's degree holders and 8,000 Euros for workers with a doctorate.

In turn, the support for maintaining talent covers young people who hold bachelor's, master's or doctorate degrees, or graduates with a level of qualification equal to or higher than level 4 of the National Qualifications Framework, who file a personal income tax return and who have earned income in category A or B of the personal income tax (IRS).

In this case, the support is awarded according to the amount of the net collection, corresponding to 100%, also for a five-year period.

Young people whose applications have already been approved can apply from September for support corresponding to the amount of tax withheld (up to a limit of four times the Minimum Monthly Wage in the Region). This benefit can be claimed for five years after they start working.

Applications for the Salary Promotion Measure to attract and establish young people on each island of the Azores are open on the empregojovem.azores.gov.pt portal.

Young people aged 35 or under at the time of beginning their professional activity can benefit from the Salary Promotion Measure, through a contract of indefinite duration or a fixed-term contract or through the ESTAGIAR L and T programmes, including young people who began their activity on or after January 1, 2024. 

Eligible applicants also include young people who have started their professional activity through fixed-term contracts with unspecified duration lasting at least 12 months, as well as young people in situations of contract conversion (i.e. from a fixed-term contract to a contract of indefinite duration), according to the Rules published in the Official Journal on July 9.

With a view to ensuring greater accessibility and flexibility for applicants to this unprecedented measure in the Region, the deadline for applications was extended from 30 to 60 days after the beginning of professional activity.

The new Rules introduced improvements so that even more young people can benefit predictably and effectively from a measure that encourages them to establish themselves and stay with employers in the Region. These include adjustments to the timing and percentages of support payments and the extension of the deadline for restarting the activity to up to 90 working days in the event of an interruption in the activity. 

According to Maria João Carreiro, Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing and Employment, "this measure aims to reward the pursuit of studies, establish young talent in the Region and contribute to the salary promotion of qualified young people who choose to work in the Azores."

The Salary Promotion Measure is implemented through the Regional Directorate for Vocational Training and Employment.

The "+ Youth" package is an initiative of the PSD/CDS/PPM coalition Government, created by Resolution of the Government Council of July 18, 2024, following the commitment made in the Programme of the XIV Government of the Azores. It includes, among others, the “Return Home” measure.