Surge in permanent job contracts this year, says minister

(AGI) Rome, Mar 26 - There were 79,000 more workers onpermanent job contracts in January and February than in thesame two months last year, said Minister of Labour GiulianoPoletti. The minister reported that there were 32.5 percentmore permanent contracts in January 2015 than the same monththe previous year. The increase was even higher at 43.1 percentfor 15- to 29-year-olds. The percentage increase in Februarylast year was 38.5 percent overall and 41.4 percent for youngworkers. Illustrating the figures at a press conference at theoffices of the Lazio region in the presence of EuropeanCommissioner for Employment Marianne Thyssen and President ofLazio Nicola Zingaretti, Mr Poletti explained that we cannotknow at present whether the permanent contracts are additionaljobs or whether they are fixed-term contracts made permanent.Anyhow, he noted: "The orientation towards stabilisation ofemployment relations is a totally positive fact." The figures -according to a report from the Ministry of Labour - are to beread in relation to strong incentives for permanent hiring(triennial decontribution plus permanent relief for employersof the Italian regional tax on productive activities)introduced with the 2015 Stability Law. (AGI). .