Over 50 million on short-time working in Europe
A new study from the European Trade Union Institute has found that, at the end of April, there were more than 42 million applications in the EU for financial support for workers who had temporarily lost their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic - rising to over 50 million if the UK and Switzerland are included.
The details of the schemes vary, but the aim of them all is similar: to provide financial support to workers, and allow them to hang onto their jobs until the crisis is over. Almost half of the national schemes examined (13 out of 28) pay 80% or more of either gross or net wages during this period. Germany, which has the largest number getting this support, and at 60% (67% in a household with children) was near the bottom of the table, has subsequently changed the rules to increase the short-time payment. It will now be 70% (77% in households with children) after four months.