The hospitality curfew has left many business owners frustrated as they struggle to make a living. Copyright (c) 2018 olgakimphoto/Shutterstock. No use without permission.

The hospitality curfew has left many business owners frustrated as they struggle to make a living.  Copyright (c) 2018 olgakimphoto/Shutterstock. No use without permission.

In January 2022, the Economic Committee granted 1,338 requests for partial unemployment schemes for the month of February 2022. Up from 674 the previous month. 13,628 employees are expected to see their salaries partially or fully funded by the state.

The Economic Committee met on January 25, 2022 under the chairmanship of the minister of the economy, Franz Fayot (LSAP), and the labour minister Georges Engel (LSAP).

, the government pays 80% of wages for staff working reduced hours in a bid to prevent companies from laying off employees. .

While 59 requests relate to the manufacturing sector, 419 are considered to be a case of ‘force majeure’. Another 10 relate to companies still in a ‘state of disaster’ following the floods of July 14 and 15, 2021. Furthermore. 409 requests come from companies in relation to the government forced closure of restaurants, cafes and nightclubs at 11 p.m.

The hospitality curfew has left many business owners frustrated as they struggle to make a living. François Koepp, head of Luxembourg’s hospitality federation Horesca, labelled the early closing time a “catastrophe”. 

, with a gradual decrease planned from March on. From 1 July, only businesses in the industry sector, which have benefitted from the aid since the 1970s, will have access to partial unemployment aid.

The requests for the month of February are expected to affect 13,628 employees (calculation in FTE/full-time jobs) compared to 11,500 people in employment in the previous month.