Eurofound's COVID-19 EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the crisis, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.
Overview of measures by category
Measures in this category are aimed at promoting the recovery of economies, labour markets, as well as the social recovery – after the emergency phase. It includes measures aimed at stimulating consumption and investment, with particular focus on the extent to which these promote the transition to a green and digital economy. As for the labour market recovery it focuses on increased, changed or new initiatives of Active labour market policies (including job creation, training, public works, subsidised employment, etc.), as well as measures related to the flexibilisation and security of employment, including new regulations on remote and digital work.
Overall, Eurofound has identified 119 measures in 30 countries for this category.
30 December 2020 |
New employment programme 2021-2023
Estonia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
21 December 2020 |
New skills fund - to be implemented via company level agreements
Italy, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
30 November 2020 |
Support for apprenticeship: a bonus for companies
Luxembourg, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
30 November 2020 |
Unions want to speed up tripartite national social dialogue
Luxembourg, Tripartite agreements |
12 November 2020 |
Work support endowment - People with disabilities - Employed COVID EMERGENCY (EMERGO 2019)
Italy, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
30 October 2020 |
Extraordinary plan for the economic recovery of Castilla-La Mancha due to the COVID-19 crisis
Spain, Tripartite agreements |
30 October 2020 |
National Social Package: re-education, re-skilling and development
Netherlands, Other initiatives or policies |
30 October 2020 |
National Social Package: stimulating youth employment
Netherlands, Other initiatives or policies |
29 October 2020 |
National Social Package: transition to new or different work
Netherlands, Other initiatives or policies |
27 October 2020 |
Incentive scheme for the employment of former prisoners
Cyprus, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
27 October 2020 |
Incentives scheme for the employment of young NEET persons
Cyprus, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
26 October 2020 |
Subsidised employment: Incentives for companies to hire unemployed
Cyprus, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
24 October 2020 |
Programs to improve the employability of unemployed people
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
21 October 2020 |
Subsidy for 100,000 recruitments of unemployed
Greece, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 October 2020 Updated |
Exceptional aid to support the employment of a disabled person on an apprenticeship contract or a professionalisation contract
France, Other initiatives or policies |
14 October 2020 |
Financial support to hire workers with disabilities
France, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
12 October 2020 |
Government announces extra funds for carers and people with disabilities
Ireland, Other initiatives or policies |
07 October 2020 |
Economic aids for people with disabilities
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
07 October 2020 |
Supporting the labour market integration of young people - internships ATIVAR.PT
Portugal, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 October 2020 |
Subsidies for hiring people with disabilities in the open labour market of Castilla-La Mancha 2020/93
Spain, Other initiatives or policies |
06 October 2020 |
Financial support for the hiring of young unemployed - Incentive ATIVAR.PT
Portugal, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 October 2020 |
Wage subsidy in agriculture
Estonia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
05 October 2020 |
Extension to the maximum duration of start-up funding
Finland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
02 October 2020 |
Incentive ATIVAR.PT - Incentive for employers to hire unemployed persons with disability or impairment
Portugal, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
02 October 2020 |
Internship ATIVAR.PT - Internships for unemployed persons with disability or impairment
Portugal, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
02 October 2020 |
Guidelines for the support of people with special needs
Germany, Tripartite agreements |
02 October 2020 Updated |
Re-start bonus (combination wage allowance)
Austria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
01 October 2020 |
Anti-crisis shield: Additional support for companies and NGOs employing people with disabilities
Poland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
01 October 2020 |
Wage support to re-employ previously laid off staff
Norway, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
30 September 2020 |
Support to restaurants for re-employment
Finland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
28 September 2020 |
Employment reintegration contract for disadvantaged workers
Luxembourg, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
25 September 2020 |
Help with heart: Labour market re-integration for disabled workers
Slovakia, Company practices |
16 September 2020 |
Trygghetsfonden - Competences for work
Sweden, Other initiatives or policies |
15 September 2020 |
Subsidising job creation/adaptation
Lithuania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
14 September 2020 |
Negotiations by the Tripartite coordination committee on the COVID-19 crisis
Luxembourg, Tripartite agreements |
10 September 2020 |
Support for self-employment of people with disabilities
Lithuania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 September 2020 |
Tripartite educational programmes for the laid off and the unemployed
Norway, Other initiatives or policies |
08 September 2020 |
ATIVAR.PT Labour market integration internships
Portugal, Other initiatives or policies |
07 September 2020 |
Incentive ATIVAR.PT - Financial incentives to hire registered unemployed
Portugal, Other initiatives or policies |
04 September 2020 |
Apprenticeship incentivisation scheme
Ireland, Other initiatives or policies |
04 September 2020 Updated |
Support for preservation of jobs in workshops for disabled and integrative units for employment of persons with disabilities affected by COVID-19
Croatia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
24 August 2020 |
Employment grant to promote access to employment
Malta, Other initiatives or policies |
11 August 2020 |
Malta Chamber Think Tank
Malta, Non-binding recommendations or other texts |
20 July 2020 Updated |
Apprentice bonus for companies creating apprenticeships
Austria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 July 2020 |
Measure: 'Employment for you': subsidised employment for hiring unemployed
Bulgaria, Tripartite agreements |
13 July 2020 Updated |
Wage support for job creation
Hungary, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 July 2020 |
Support to companies for hiring on the basis of teleworking contracts in interior regions
Portugal, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 July 2020 |
Increased unemployment benefit rate granted during education
Denmark, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 July 2020 Updated |
Right to combine unemployment benefit with training
Norway, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
08 July 2020 Updated |
The Kickstart Initiative and incentivising apprenticeships
United Kingdom, Other initiatives or policies |
02 July 2020 |
Wage subsidies to companies at the end of quarantine
Lithuania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
08 January 2021 |
Employability program for workers
Italy, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
07 January 2021 |
Extra help for particularly hard corona-affected areas
Denmark, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
02 January 2021 |
COVID-19 education bonus
Austria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
21 December 2020 |
Tax advantages on building and energy mattersefficiency (Superbonus 110%)
Italy, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 December 2020 |
Corona bonus at Daimler Germany
Germany, Company practices |
02 December 2020 |
Social partners call on the government to pay out frozen holiday pay
Denmark, Other initiatives or policies |
26 November 2020 |
Payment of holiday funds
Denmark, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
11 November 2020 |
July stimulus aims to assist businesses and people get back to work
Ireland, Other initiatives or policies |
09 November 2020 |
New tax credit introdcued to encourage spending in hospitality sector
Ireland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
05 November 2020 |
Green energy for accommodation & food businesses
Romania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
01 November 2020 |
Tripartite Social Dialogue Agreement in Cantabria in the face of COVID-19
Spain, Tripartite agreements |
30 October 2020 |
Agreement for the Social and Economic Reactivation of Andalusia
Spain, Tripartite agreements |
29 October 2020 |
Economic reactivation measures to face the impact of COVID-19 in the field of transport
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
29 October 2020 |
"Renove 2020" program for the renewal of the vehicle fleet
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
24 October 2020 |
Funds for innovative renewable projects in Andalusia and Extremadura
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
22 October 2020 |
Extraordinary financial measures for local entities
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
21 October 2020 |
Aids for the energy renovation of buildings
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
21 October 2020 |
Urgent measures to support economic reactivation and employment
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
07 October 2020 |
Measures to promote economic investment
Netherlands, Other initiatives or policies |
07 October 2020 |
Package of measures for culture and recreation
Netherlands, Other initiatives or policies |
05 October 2020 |
One-time payment for welfare beneficiaries
Denmark, Other initiatives or policies |
02 October 2020 |
A package to stimulate green growth
Norway, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
23 September 2020 |
Measures to support import and export
Malta, Other initiatives or policies |
23 September 2020 Updated |
Measures to support the construction and property industries
Malta, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
15 September 2020 |
Pact for German Rail
Germany, Tripartite agreements |
11 September 2020 |
Employers make recommendations for the economic upturn for Slovenia 5.0
Slovenia, Non-binding recommendations or other texts |
16 July 2020 |
Tourism voucher
Poland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 July 2020 |
COVID Spa: vouchers for spa treatments to support the tourism industry
Czechia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 July 2020 |
Temporary tax reduction in the HORECA sector
Belgium, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
08 July 2020 Updated |
Consumption cheques for employees
Belgium, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
07 July 2020 Updated |
Vouchers for use in businesses affected by COVID-19
Malta, Other initiatives or policies |
02 July 2020 Updated |
Set of measures to sustain the sectors most hit by the pandemic
Slovenia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 January 2021 |
Extra compensation for local governments
Netherlands, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 January 2021 |
Measures for the second package for the cultural and creative sector
Netherlands, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process. All information is preliminary and subject to change.