Almost 9,000 jobseekers have been matched with employers in European Union-funded programmes to draw on Hungary’s almost 300,000-strong labour market reserve launched in the spring, Sándor Czomba, the state secretary for employment policy, said on Wednesday. Applications for subsidies of more than 10 billion forints (EUR 25.15m) have been submitted in the programmes which target Hungarians under 30 and over 30, Czomba said. He said the number of registered job-seekers have dropped to a record low owing to the labour-market measures introduced by the government, and this had also contributed to the continued rise in employment. Czomba noted the initiatives launched by the government to be financed from a budget of 460 billion forints (EUR 1.16bn) until 2030 with a view to mobilising Hungary’s labour reserve. Citing figures from the National Employment Service, he said 224,000 job-seekers were on the records. Czomba also noted the government’s aim to increase employment in the 20-64 age group from the current 81 to 85%. He said the employment scheme targeting Hungarians under 30 could help around 84,000 young Hungarians find work between now and 2029, while the programme supporting those over 30 could help close to 77,000 people.