The Hong Kong government has allocated 60.6 million HK dollars and 11.8 million HK dollars to enhance the Employment Program for the Middle-aged and the Work Orientation and Placement Scheme respectively, according to the government website on Monday.

The enhanced measures include increasing the financial incentives and extending the subsidy period for participating employers, and they will benefit 8,000 middle-aged job seekers and 800 disabled people over the next two years.

Under the enhanced employment program, the training allowance payable to participating employers who engaged eligible middle- aged job seekers in full-time jobs and provided them with on-the- job training will rise from 1,500 HK dollars to 2,000 HK dollars a month for each employee. The subsidy period for deserving cases will be extended from three months to a maximum of six months.

The financial incentives for employers participating in the work orientation and placement scheme will rise from half to two- thirds of the actual wages paid to the disabled employee during the work trial period, and the payment ceiling will rise from 3, 000 HK dollars a month to 4,000 HK dollars.

If employers provide comprehensive training and support to their disabled employees, the subsidy period will be extended from three months to a maximum of six months. (One U.S. dollar = 7.742 HK dollars).

(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2009)