Number of Short-Time Workers Fell by 10 Percent in April
In April, the number of short-time workers in Germany fell by 10 percent, from 3.0* million to 2.7 million. This is an ifo Institute estimate based on its monthly Business Survey and data from the German Employment Agency. In manufacturing, the number fell from 535,000 to 444,000 people in April. This means that 6.4 percent of manufacturing employees are still on short-time work. “In hospitality, however, the situation is unchanged: here, 565,000 people – fully 53.2 percent of the workforce – are on short-time work,” says ifo labor market expert Sebastian Link.
In many parts of Germany, retailers were allowed to open only under tight coronavirus restrictions. Nevertheless, the number of short-time workers fell from 375,000 to 276,000 – which is still 11.2 percent. In trade overall, including wholesale and car dealerships, the number shrank from 598,000 to 433,000, or 9.5 percent of employees. Printing was another industry with above-average levels of short-time work: 28,000 people, or 22.1 percent of the workforce. Administrative and support service providers had 10.1 percent of workers, or 228,000 people, on short-time work.
Below-average levels of short-time work in April were seen in the automotive industry at 4.8 percent or 45,400 employees, manufacturers of electrical equipment at 2.8 percent or 9,700 employees, as well as the chemical, pharmaceutical, rubber, and plastic industries at 1.8 percent or 16,400 employees.
*Changed figure. The original ifo estimate for March was 2.7 million. The correction is due to an extensive revision on the part of the German Federal Employment Agency, which revised its initial projection for January upward by some 300,000 workers.
