In May, “the total number of ‘lay-off’ situations with compensatory payment (normal concession, as per the Labor Code) was 4,731,” according to a summary prepared by the Strategy and Planning Office (GEP) of the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity, and Social Security released today.
Compared to the same period last year, there was a decrease of 2,946 processed payments, equivalent to a 38.4% drop.
In a month-on-month comparison, there was a decline of 254 processed payments, representing a 5.1% decrease compared to April.
The number of workers on ‘lay-off’ has been decreasing for four consecutive months, since February, following a rise of 77.5% in January compared to December 2024.
According to the GEP, the reduced working hours scheme covered 3,021 people, a decrease of 35.8% compared to May 2024 (1,681 fewer payments), but an increase of 0.7% (22 more payments) compared to April.
The temporary suspension regime saw a year-on-year reduction of 42.5% (1,265 fewer processes) and declined 13.9% compared to April (276 fewer processes).
In May, ‘lay-off’ payments were processed for 282 employers, representing a decrease of 195 compared to the same period last year and a drop of 40 compared to the previous month.
The ‘lay-off’ process involves the temporary reduction of normal working hours or suspension of employment contracts initiated by companies, due to market reasons, structural or technological issues, catastrophes, or other occurrences that have severely affected the normal activities of the company.
