Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.
Factsheet for measure LU-1976-27/2611 – measures in Luxembourg
Country | Luxembourg , applies nationwide |
Time period | Open ended, started on 30 June 1976 |
Context | COVID-19, Restructuring Support Instruments |
Type | Legislations or other statutory regulations |
Category |
Promoting the economic, labour market and social recovery
– Active labour market policies (enhancing employability, training, subsidised job creation, etc.) |
Author | Patrick Thill (LISER) and Eurofound |
Measure added | 23 June 2022 (updated 14 November 2022) |
The Employment fund is a legal financial support instrument in the context of restructuring of companies, or within the field of activation policies. The Employment Fund is a special fund under the supervision of the Ministry of Employment. The Employment fund is financed by a solidarity tax, which has been a 7% surcharge on personal income (9% if the personal income is over €150,000 per year) and 7% on corporation tax, a contribution from local authorities and an advance from the government funds. The solidarity tax has remained unaltered.
The Employment Fund includes a special section to promote practical training in companies and the professional integration/reintegration of job seekers.
The Employment fund covers the reimbursement for employers of social contributions provided that they recruit older or long-term jobseekers registered at the National Employment Agency ADEM. The Employment fund also grants re-employment assistance for employees affected by dismissals for economic reasons and pays wages to employees for a period of up to 6 months after the bankruptcy of a company. Its main tasks are:
In the context of the current COVID-19 crisis and legislation, the fund plays a crucial role in the context of short-time working schemes. If the company can mobilise short-time working, the fund can take charge of the 80% of the normal salary capped at 250% of the minimum social salary for an unskilled employee. The fund also compensates those employees whose salary risks to fall under the social minimum wage.
According to the Annual report 2019 of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy , total expenditures by the Employment fund mobilised for the various initiatives amount to €795.5 million. In the context of the COVID-19 crisis, this amount is likely to increase as a series of COVID-19 measures are financed by the Fund. Data on total expenditure are yet not available.
The Employment fund is an efficient support instrument in the case of company restructuring and jobseeker activation policies, as it contributes to avoid mass redundancies. This is well reflected in the amound mobilised in 2019 for the various initiatives, as well in the current COVID-19 context, where part-time unemployment is financed through the Fund.
Workers | Businesses | Citizens |
---|---|---|
Employees in standard employment
|
Applies to all businesses | Does not apply to citizens |
Actors | Funding |
---|---|
National government
|
Companies
Employees National funds |
Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:
Trade unions | Employers' organisations | |
---|---|---|
Role | Unknown | Unknown |
Form | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
Unknown
Union des entreprises luxembourgeoises (UEL) and Chambre des métiers question the fact that the Fond pour l'Emploi could not compensate the self-employed who have lost their activities because of the pandemic.
Citation
Eurofound (2022), Employment fund, measure LU-1976-27/2611 (measures in Luxembourg), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/LU-1976-27_2611.html
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