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Germany is currently far from the shocking numbers at the beginning of the Corona crisis.

Six million people were on short-time work last April, compared to an estimated 2.3 million at last.

In January, unemployment did not rise any faster than usual at that time.

Experts often speak of a “robust state” of the labor market.

But despite this development, the following applies: The Federal Republic is still in a state of emergency.

Short-time working is still at a level that never existed in pre-Corona times.

Detlef Scheele, head of the Federal Employment Agency (BA), emphasized this at the authority's monthly press conference.

In November, December and January only 170,000 new advertisements were received from companies.

But Scheele also said: "In the three months that we now feel as a flattening, we have received more short-time work notifications than we had in the entire financial market crisis in 2009." The agency is still under high pressure.

Source: WORLD infographic

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"You sometimes have to make the comparison because people think that's little now," he said.

The effort the lockdown, which has been running since November, is considerable.

The sectors particularly affected include retail and service providers.

The conclusion with regard to unemployment is similarly worrying.

Although the number of unemployed in January did not increase more than usual for the time of year, it is 2.9 million, the unemployment rate is 6.3 percent.

The usual effects in this winter month include the fact that many employees in external occupations are currently unable to work, contracts expired at the end of the year and fewer people are hired.

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There were no additional layoffs due to the corona pandemic, said Scheele.

On the surface and also in a global comparison, it looks good.

But he emphasized: 475,000 unemployed are attributable to the corona effect.

"We have been dragging them since April, May, so to speak." That is a "significantly large number", and there have certainly been "upheavals among individual target groups" that would have an impact for a few years to come.

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Scheele particularly emphasized the group of the long-term unemployed, i.e. those who have been without a job for more than a year.

In January around 990,000 people were affected, compared to December there was an increase of 60,000 - "an enormous increase," said the BA chief.

Here, too, he drew the comparison: In the years of the upswing, they had come a long way, namely to less than 700,000 long-term unemployed.

But in the course of the Corona crisis, for example, people without qualifications with poor knowledge of German from temporary work or fixed-term contracts were first dismissed and slipped into Hartz IV.

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It is true that some of the recently long-term unemployed have a relatively stable career.

They would also find work again if the BA was able to provide more jobs again.

But: “In its entirety, the helper market will not return like this,” said Scheele, referring to car manufacturers, suppliers and the manufacturing industry.

Combating long-term unemployment is becoming more difficult.

“We will exceed the one million,” he predicted for February.

It is bitter that the progress of the past is now "melting away like snow in the sun".

He appealed to the parties in the Bundestag to create better qualification opportunities for the long-term unemployed, for example, before the election in September, which could take effect if the job market recovers.

"We need the legal improvements," warned Scheele.

These should not fall victim to the election campaign.

Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) referred in this context to his plans for a Hartz IV reform.

Among other things, these stipulate that vocational training can be given preference over a quick placement in work.

A large part of the Hartz IV recipients have not completed any training.

"That is why it is necessary for sustainable labor market integration to change course and focus on qualification," said Heil.

The draft law has been submitted to the relevant authorities in the federal government.

"I hope that we will not just extend the simplified access to the basic security, but also take this important step." Some corona-related easing will apply until the end of March.

The apartment is not checked for adequacy, and the state is more generous when it comes to assets.

Heil wants a permanent waiting period in the future: In the first two years of Hartz IV receipt, so-called “insignificant” assets and rental costs should not be checked for appropriateness.

Savings of up to 60,000 euros (plus 30,000 euros for each additional household member) would therefore initially not have to be touched.

The coalition partner, however, met with rejection: The Union merely agreed to extend the special corona rules.

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Beate Müller-Gemmeke, labor market expert for the Greens, sees the Federal Labor Minister's duty to take countermeasures in other areas.

Long-term unemployed people need more individual offers and fewer formal hurdles.

“What is needed are qualification offers that actually suit the people,” said Müller-Gemmeke.

In addition, the social labor market must be expanded.

In this project promoted by Heil, employers employ long-term unemployed people and receive wage subsidies from the state.

There is also coaching for the participants.

More people should benefit from this, said the Green politician.

She warned: “We must not leave the unemployed alone in difficult economic times.

Waiting is not an option. "