The good news: The number of short-time workers fell by a million in July and many salespeople and waiters are back at work. But it's not looking so good in industry. Above all, the Bavarians feel that.
Munich (dpa) - After the opening of shops and restaurants, short-time work in Germany fell significantly in July, but with 5.6 million people affected, it remains at a very high level. As the ifo Institute announced, short-time working in industry is falling only slowly.
In mechanical engineering and the electrical industry, it even increased in July. Nationwide, every seventh employee subject to social security contributions was on short-time work last month, with an average of 43 percent less working hours. The hospitality industry remains hardest hit. There, the number of short-time workers fell by a third to 465,000 - but that is still 42 percent of those employed in this industry. In retail, the number of short-time workers also fell sharply to 637,000.
In July, 2.12 million people were on short-time working in industry. The proportion of short-time workers thus fell from 33 to 30 percent. The proportion is significantly higher in the metal and electrical industry, in vehicle construction and in mechanical engineering. The economic researchers explain the increase in mechanical engineering and the electrical industry in July with the "poor domestic and international demand".
Employees in banks and insurance companies as well as in real estate and housing are least affected: just three percent work short hours.
In a country comparison, Bavaria has the most short-time workers - according to the Ifo Institute, this is due to its high proportion of industry, especially in the automotive industry and its suppliers. In July, 1.18 million people or 21 percent of employees were on short-time work in the Free State - more than in the more populous North Rhine-Westphalia with 1.08 million short-time workers (16 percent) and in Baden-Württemberg with 900,000 short-time workers (19 percent). In regions with little industry, there was far less short-time work. The share was lowest in Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia at 12 percent.
In order to cushion the consequences of the Corona crisis, the federal government had significantly increased the wage replacement benefit from the funds of the Federal Employment Agency. Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) are now considering doubling the possible duration of benefits to 24 months.
The ifo Institute estimates the number of short-time working at 9,000 companies based on its monthly business survey. This timely assessment is funded by the Federal Ministry of Finance. The Federal Employment Agency publishes final figures on the use of short-time work a few months later.
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