In the corona phase one was more lenient, said Kocher in the “ZiB 2” on Sunday, that should now change. The situation on the labor market has relaxed surprisingly quickly in recent weeks, said Kocher, even if many people are still on short-time work. Now one has to get out of the short-time work “in line with the economic cycle” and find workers again for the areas in which there is already a shortage – for example in the catering trade, in the accommodation providers, but also in the industry.
Long-term unemployment rose particularly sharply after crises and recessions, and it was particularly difficult to get these people back into employment. “Our goal is to bring long-term unemployment in the existing population to pre-crisis levels by the end of next year.” There will be an additional 300 million euros for this.
The union calls for companies that employ the long-term unemployed and particularly promote women to be given preference in public tenders – but that is not easy from a legal point of view because large contracts have to be advertised across Europe, said Kocher. In the catering and accommodation sector, many companies have difficulties in finding workers. This is also due to the fact that seasonal workers orientated themselves differently during the crisis.
New target at the AMS
“We have decided that we will give the AMS a new target tomorrow,” said Kocher. The mediation is very important and the binding nature of the mediation must be ensured through sanctions “if the existing provisions on reasonableness are violated”. In the corona phase, they were more lenient.
The demand of the Chamber of Commerce to limit additional earnings in the event of unemployment is “a possibility that one can look at,” said the minister and announced a major reform. A degressive model of unemployment benefits is also being considered. The aim is to improve income security at the beginning of unemployment.
Abuse of AMS services in 2020
In 2020, despite the crisis, there was abuse of AMS services in the millions, Kocher said in a press release. Although the AMS temporarily suspended its control activities in March 2020 due to the tense labor market situation, the sanctions imposed for abuse amounted to 66 million euros last year. The sanctions were imposed because of “refusal to work and training, missed check-ups, self-inflicted dismissals or self-resignations”.
“Unemployment benefit or emergency assistance can be canceled for six weeks if a reasonable job is refused, and eight weeks if the job repeats,” says the Ministry of Labor, putting the rod in the window of the unemployed.
