The Spanish Social Security institution registered 239,230 people protected by Temporary Redundancy Programmes (ERTE) on 30 September, according to provisional data released by the central government.
The number of workers on an ERTE associated with COVID-19 is thus at its lowest level since the beginning of the pandemic.
These temporary layoffs, designed to help businesses and protect employment, reached more than 3.6 million workers at their highest level in 2020.
Thus, more than 93.4% of employees who were immersed in ERTE have already gotten out of this situation, the government highlights.
Tourism and hospitality are the sectors in which this instrument has been used the most. In fact, two economic activities account for almost 37% of employees protected by ERTE: Food and Beverage Services (55,647 workers on ERTE) and Accommodation Services (32,330).
The Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands have the highest number of workers protected by ERTE.
