More recently the welfare state contributed to the country’s robust response to
the global financial crisis in 2008-09 by expanding and extending short-time
working provisions.
The option of hiring employees for short-time work lasting up
to 24 months enabled many companies to retain their core workforce despite
the collapse in sales. As the global economy began to rebound German
companies were among the first to meet demand and respond to the recovery.
EU Forecast
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