Labor Minister Élisabeth Borne announced on Tuesday morning that the current conditions for partial unemployment benefit would be maintained in March, which were due to end at the end of February.
"We will extend the current rates of partial activity in March so (there will be) no out-of-pocket expenses for the sectors hit by the crisis and we will maintain the rate of 15% for the others, to answer to the uncertainty about the health situation ”due to the coronavirus, the minister said on BFM Business, although partial unemployment has already cost the government nearly 30 billion euros.
The current rule is that the employee is compensated up to 70% of his gross salary (84% net) with a remainder in charge of 15% for companies.
This was to rise to 40% next month, leading the employee's compensation to drop to 60% (72% of net salary).
The sectors most affected by the crisis (tourism, culture, sport and leisure, hotel and catering, transport, etc. and dependent activities) will continue to benefit from 100% support.
"Partial unemployment protected nine million employees in the spring and three million in November," assured the minister.
In order for this period to be profitable on the continuous training front for working people, Élisabeth Borne wanted to invite them to "sign long-term partial activity agreements", the APLDs, to train their staff "in ecological transition, digital transition ”during this period of less activity.
More training
"During the time when employees are not working, they can train," she summarized.
"Companies first protected jobs", and rightly so, "they must also seize the other aspect which is to train employees [...] to be stronger at the end of the crisis".
More than 7,000 companies have signed an APLD agreement, which represents 530,000 employees.
The device allows the employer, for a period of up to 24 months, to reduce the working time of his employees;
during non-working hours, paid by the State, employees learn or deepen new skills.
For Elisabeth Borne "companies must train their employees" through long-term partial activity https://t.co/vzSqRpi4T8 pic.twitter.com/KPa5sLeUx8
- BFM Business (@bfmbusiness) February 16, 2021
The Minister of Labor also recalled the other device which allows training, up to 18 months, employees whose jobs are threatened "to rebound in other sectors".
"The State supports up to 100% of the training and remuneration" of employees, insisted the minister, announcing that she would soon visit "companies that allow women cashiers or cleaning employees to train in care-giving professions ”.
Monday, the government extended until the end of May the aid guaranteeing a monthly income of 900 euros to 400,000 intermittent events or tourism.
This aid allows all the “extras” who worked for at least 138 days on a fixed-term or temporary basis (i.e. more than 60% of annual working time) in 2019, but who were unable to work enough in 2020 to recharge their rights. unemployment insurance, to receive the sum of 900 euros per month.
Some 400,000 people benefited from it during the months of November and December, to which could be added more than 100,000 potential beneficiaries who must provide additional documents.