Four million workers are currently part of the adapted partial unemployment scheme put in place by the French government in the face of the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Labor Minister Muriel Pénicaud announced on Thursday April 2.

"The figures for this morning, which are still increasing very strongly, are 400,000 companies and four million employees, that is to say one employee in five [in the private sector] in France in companies or associations are on partial unemployment, "said Muriel Pénicaud on France Info.

Wednesday, after the Council of Ministers, she said that 337,000 companies, or 3.6 million employees, had filed a request to this effect.

The partial unemployment scheme provides that the employer pays its employees compensation corresponding to 70% of their gross earnings, or even 100% for employees with minimum wage or less.

The state will then reimburse companies in full for salaries up to 6,927 euros gross monthly, i.e. 4.5 times the minimum wage.

220 new distance learning courses available free of charge

Muriel Pénicaud also announced that the state would "assume 100% (...) all training costs for people who are partially unemployed".

In addition to the partially unemployed employees, she invited all available French people to take advantage of the distance learning offer, welcoming the mobilization of more than a hundred players in the sector to enrich the content available free of charge in line.

Muriel Pénicaud said that Pôle Emploi launched 220 new distance training courses for free this Thursday.

"If you are at home, whatever the cause, don't hesitate to go and get training, it's free and there are a lot of things we can do online right now."

With Reuters

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