Berlin (epd). According to Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD), simplified access to short-time work benefits should expire at the end of June. The economic development and the situation on the job market are “currently better than we could have expected in the fall,” Heil told the “Rheinische Post” (Saturday). Therefore, the measure will not be extended after the end of June.
According to the SPD politician, there were still 162,000 employees on short-time work in February. 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,” said Heil. That is an “enormous sum”.
During the pandemic, the federal government simplified access to short-time work benefits. Companies could already register short-time work if ten percent of the employees lost work. In normal times, it must be at least a third of the workforce. The simplified access was last extended until the end of June.
If a company registers short-time work, employees receive 60 percent of their net wages, parents 67 percent. The employer pays the social contributions alone, which are slightly reduced in return. Heil emphasized that companies could continue to apply for short-time work for their employees in the future. But you will return to the pre-crisis rules.