19/04/2021 (Agence Europe) – Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020 saw a record number of temporary lay-offs in the European Union, according to figures released by the EU’s statistical office (Eurostat) on Monday 19 April. In the first quarter of 2020, for example, almost 3 million people were declared absent from work due to temporary lay-offs. During the second quarter, this number increased fivefold to reach a figure of 13.8 million people, before falling to 2 million in the third quarter. In the last quarter of 2020, however, this number once again increased to 3.1 million. These figures are still significantly higher than those of the previous year: in the third quarter of 2019, for example, “only” 300,000 people were recorded as being absent from work. For more information: https://bit.ly/3n1OpAs (PH)