In the Corona crisis and then after the start of the Russian war of aggression, easier access to short-time work benefits helped many companies to make ends meet. That will now change again.
For short-time work in Germany, the rules that were set before the corona pandemic should soon apply again. Easier access to short-time allowance is valid until the end of June, but will not be extended after that.
Federal Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil (SPD) told the “Rheinische Post” to justify: “The economic development and the situation on the job market are currently better than we could have expected in the fall.”
First because of the Corona consequences and then because of the energy price crisis, Heil had facilitated access to short-time work benefits by regulation. The proportion of employees who must be affected by absenteeism before short-time work has been reduced – from at least a third to at least ten percent.
Heil last extended this rule change in December 2022 until the end of June. It is now to be withdrawn again in the middle of the year. Companies can then apply for short-time work benefits again according to the old rules.
Highest level of employment in Germany
“Today, for example, we have the highest level of employment that the Federal Republic has ever had – despite the Corona crisis and the war in Ukraine,” said Heil. The issue now is securing skilled workers. “We’re going to put more money in qualification and invest in employee training. At the same time, the Federal Employment Agency be able to build up reserves for future crises again.”
There are currently only 162,000 employees on short-time work, at the height of the Corona crisis in spring 2020 there were six million. “In the years 2020 to 2022 we spent a total of 45.5 billion euros on short-time work benefits. That is an enormous sum,” the minister summed up.
But that paid off. The International Monetary Fund found in a study that without the special regulations, unemployment would have risen by three percentage points at the peak of the crisis in the second quarter of 2020. “That corresponds to around 1.3 million people who we saved from unemployment with short-time work,” said the SPD politician. “Companies have been able to retain their skilled workers and it has stabilized aggregate demand.” (dpa)