Nineteen unemployed people aged between 55 and 67 are due to start work for the Municipality of Spata–Artemida on Monday 2 November. The recruitment decision (No. 803/2026) was signed by the mayor, Dimitris Markou, on 23 October and published on the Diafania transparency portal on Tuesday 27 October. The contracts are full-time and run for twelve months, until 1 November 2027.
The majority of the costs are covered by DYPA, formerly OAED, through the programme to employ 8,000 additional unemployed people aged 55 and over in public sector organisations.
Which positions
In accordance with the decision, the following are to be recruited:
- 3 physical education teachers (PE)
- 5 administrative staff (DE)
- 4 refuse collection workers (YE)
- 3 indoor cleaners (YE)
- 2 warehouse workers (YE)
- 1 security guard (YE)
- 1 welder (YE)
The names of the employees are included in the decision; we do not publish them.
How much does it cost and who pays for it?
The Municipal Committee unanimously approved the Municipality’s participation on 11 August (Decision 531/2026). The budget calculated at that time was €271,200 for 228 man-months, with a monthly cost of €1,500 for each fitness instructor, €1,200 for each administrative staff member and €1,100 for each support staff post. These amounts represent the total cost to the employer, including contributions, not the net salary received by the employee.
DYPA covers 75 per cent of the cost of each place, up to a maximum of 750 euros per month. For 19 places over 12 months, this amounts to 171,000 euros. The remaining €100,200 is provided by the Municipality from its budget: the Committee has earmarked €33,400 for 2026 and €66,800 for 2027.
This allocation corresponds to four months in 2026, i.e. starting in September. If it starts on 2 November, only two months will fall in 2026 and all ten in 2027, so part of the amount will need to be carried over to the following year’s budget.
What the application said
In the proposal from the Directorate of Social Policy, the 19 posts were described as being in ‘areas such as open care for the elderly (KAPI (the municipal day centres for older people)), administrative support for frontline public services, social care and employment counselling’. The table in the same proposal listed four posts as ‘general duties staff’ and one as a ‘security guard’. In the recruitment decision, the four are listed as refuse collection workers and the one as a security guard. The number of posts and the educational categories remain the same: 3 PE, 5 DE and 11 YE.
Who is eligible for such a programme?
The scheme is governed by Joint Ministerial Decision 4669 of 29 July 2026, which amended the original Joint Ministerial Decision of 2017. It is aimed at unemployed people aged between 55 and 67, and at unemployed people aged between 67 and 74 who have not completed the required period of insurance for a pension. An organisation may not recruit more than 15 per cent of its permanent staff through the scheme, and the duration may be extended for a further 12 months.
The local authority does not advertise the vacancies itself. Unemployed people are recommended by the Regional Employment Service (DYPA) with ‘recommendation letters’, as stated in the decision. Anyone aged 55 or over who is looking for work must therefore be registered on the DYPA’s register of unemployed people in order to be recommended for a post in the next round. For further information regarding the Council’s decision, please contact the Human Resources Department on 213 2007385.
Source: Municipality of Spata–Artemida, Mayor’s Decision 803/2026 (Diafania 9591Ω1Χ-50Χ, 27/10/2026); Municipal Committee Decision 531/2026 (Diaugia ΨΜΒΒΩ1Χ-3ΦΠ, 13 August 2026).
