This measure, according to the council, represents a new blow to youth employment policies and directly reduces job opportunities for people under 30 years old. The Empuju program has been a useful tool for years to provide a first work experience for unemployed young people through their temporary incorporation into local councils.
In Vila-real's case, this aid program has allowed 409 young people to work in the council between 2016 and 2024, acquiring skills and work experience, which, in many cases, has improved their chances of subsequent entry into the labor market. Data shows a significant reduction in the program in recent years.
In Vila-real, 21 young people were hired in 2016, 86 in 2017, 84 in 2018, 34 in 2019, 68 in 2020, and 70 in 2021. After the change of government in the Generalitat, the figure dropped to 18 hires in 2022, 25 in 2023, and only 3 in 2024, reaching zero in 2025 and 2026. This decline has also been reflected in the subsidy received by the Vila-real City Council, decreasing from 226,363.93 euros in 2023 to 67,764.59 euros in 2024.
“"The Empuju program has been a key initiative for the labor insertion of our young people. With the Botànic government, it was a successful program where 409 young people from Vila-real were able to work in our city council, gaining skills and work experience. In many cases, we have been a bridge between our young people and private companies."
In addition to the reduction of resources and hirings, the council criticizes the worsening of the program's conditions since the arrival of the PP and Vox government to the Generalitat. The duration of contracts was reduced from 12 to 10 months, a modification that left many young people without the right to 120 days of unemployment benefits. The city council argues that local councils are fundamental administrations for deploying active employment policies, due to their proximity to citizens and their ability to detect real needs and generate useful job opportunities.
Therefore, Vila-real considers the exclusion of municipalities from a program that had proven its effectiveness to be unjustified. The City Council has already presented a motion to denounce this situation and demand that the Valencian Generalitat rectify its decision, reinstate the call for local councils, and strengthen a tool that had been effective in combating youth unemployment.
