It works, but you can become dependent, says AMS boss Johannes Kopf in “Club 3” about short-time work. You also have to get rid of it, that would be good for the labor market.
Since the start of the pandemic, the labor market service has spent ten billion euros on short-time working. “You could tell it’s a drug that works,” explains AMS boss Kopf in the “Club 3” discussion about “Krone”, “Kurier” and “profil”.
“But drugs can also make you dependent”, the expert warns and argues for a gradual reduction. You have to wonder if some are “prevented from working” while other sectors are desperate for staff and there are 120,000 job openings. Headline: “This prevents necessary structural adjustments.”
The numbers, which exceeded 100,000 in the winter, are now falling significantly to 40,000 as the “corona time cut,” which brought up to 100 percent funding with 50 to 80 percent reduced activity, expired at the end of March. The situation is different if, for example, there are production losses due to a gas boycott in the industry. There are already a number of requests from companies that have to work temporarily due to disrupted supply chains. Social partners and government are negotiating how to deal with this.
The planned reform of unemployment benefits is also still open. Head can envision an increase and a decrease after three months to speed up the placement: “People can then be more flexible about things like travel or working hours.”
Only a few Ukrainians in the labor market
So far, about 20,000 Ukrainian refugees (mainly women) have been given a “blue card”, which is a prerequisite for basic social security and a work permit. This should be unbureaucratic, the main problem is childcare because there are many young mothers. Only 430 have registered with the AMS as job seekers. First, language skills and qualifications need to be examined, which will take some time, Kopf says.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
