Mexico: Extend temporary employment programme

Structural unemployment, together with diminishing job openings during emergency situations or changes in production cycles, cause a fall in income and the wealth of low-income populations. This mainly affects such vulnerable groups as indigenous populations and others requiring priority attention, especially in highly marginal municipalities. To raise the income of these groups in the context of the financial crisis, in early 2009 the Government of Mexico launched the Extended Temporary Employment Programme (Programa deEmpleo Temporal Ampliado - PETA). This programme extends the scope of the previous Temporary Employment Programme (Programa de Empleo Temporal - PET) to beneficiaries in rural and urban areas, as the latter currently shows the highest unemployment rate (6.09%). The Programme aims to provide temporary support for the income of these benefi ciaries in times of low job demand, such as the present, and during natural emergencies, by participating in projects for the benefit the community or families, in the area of health care, education, and environmental preservation, among others. With a budget of 2,200 million pesos (equal to approximately USD 165million), the Government expects to assist 250,000 beneficiaries.