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July 29, 2020 In March and April over half of Italian companies made use of the Cig-covid. The layoff involved almost 40% of employees in the private sector. This is what emerges from the study "companies and workers in covid layoffs in the months of March and April", carried out by the central research and research department of INPS in collaboration with the Bank of Italy.

The use of Cig-covid was higher in the sectors subject to lockdown in March and April. However, even in sectors where production levels or turnover did not decrease compared to the period preceding the pandemic, the use of the Cig-covid involved a significant share of companies (around 20% in manufacturing and 30% in services) .  

On average, explains the report, each worker in Cig-covid suffered an hourly reduction of 156 hours, 90 percent of the monthly full-time working time (equal to 173 hours in March and April), losing, according to current estimates, 27.3% of their monthly gross income, the share of companies that made use of Cig-covid is equal to 45% in the north east, 48% in the north west, 52% in the center and 55% in the noon.

A large part of the differences between macro-areas is explained by heterogeneity in the characteristics of businesses, with particular reference to the sector of activity, relatively more unbalanced in the south in favor of the sectors of accommodation and catering, construction and non-food retail trade. , who suffered most from the consequences of the crisis.

The study analyzes the data relating to the effective use, in the months of March and April, of the wage integration tools in the constant employment relationship, as modified by the Italian care decree (dl n.18 / 2020). The analysis is based on the microdata present in the INPS archive and refers to all the wage integration tools provided to face the covid health emergency: ordinary layoffs (CIG), checks from the solidarity funds and the fund of wage supplementation (FIS) and Cig in derogation, both paid directly by the INPS and paid by companies.

The data, updated to 15 July, refer to the month of payment, i.e. the period in which workers were subjected to the reduction of working hours and not to the month in which the Cig-covid was authorized by INPS : the Cura Italia decree has in fact recognized companies the right to request the authorization to use the Cig-covid even at a time subsequent to the effective use of the wage integration tools. This means, the INPS points out, that the data cannot yet be considered as definitive in the months of March and April, more than half of the Italian companies made use of the Cig-covid. 

In a note, the National Consumer Union speaks of "alarming and worrying data, given that it concerns 40% of employees in the private sector". It should also be considered - we read - that in the first quarter of 2020, gross disposable income fell by 1.6% on the previous quarter and that, consequently, consumption fell by 6.4%.

"An already serious situation, inevitably destined to worsen in the second quarter," comments President Massimiliano Dona. "The income support measures adopted since Cura Italia, in short, have certainly made it possible to contain the fall in household incomes and purchasing power, but not enough. We must quickly restore spending power to the middle and middle classes -low or falling consumption, and consequently of GDP, will have disastrous effects for the country "concludes Dona.