World's jobless putting pressure on social welfare

U.S., Europe aid paths differ

FILE - In this Friday, May 1, 2020 file photo, a message in support of the National Health Service (NHS) is written on Westminster Bridge, as the country continues its lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, in London. The virus outbreak is straining social safety nets across the globe - and underlining sharp differences in approach between wealthy societies such as the United States and Europe. In Europe, the collapse in business activity is triggering wage support programs that are keeping millions on the job, for now.  (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)
FILE - In this Friday, May 1, 2020 file photo, a message in support of the National Health Service (NHS) is written on Westminster Bridge, as the country continues its lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, in London. The virus outbreak is straining social safety nets across the globe - and underlining sharp differences in approach between wealthy societies such as the United States and Europe. In Europe, the collapse in business activity is triggering wage support programs that are keeping millions on the job, for now. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)

The coronavirus pandemic is straining social safety nets across the globe -- and underlining sharp differences in approach between wealthy societies such as the United States and Europe.

In Europe, the collapse in business activity is triggering wage support programs that are keeping millions on the job, for now. In contrast, in the United States more than 33.5 million people have applied for jobless benefits and the unemployment rate has soared to 14.7%. Congress has passed $2 trillion in emergency support, boosting jobless benefits and writing stimulus checks of up to $1,200 per taxpayer.

Economist Andre Sapir, a senior fellow at the Bruegel research institute in Brussels, said budget policy in the U.S. plays partly the role that Europe's welfare system plays because the American welfare system is less generous and a recession can be much harsher on workers.

In downturns, U.S. employees can lose their health insurance if they lose their job and there's also a greater risk of losing one's home through foreclosure. On the other hand, Europeans typically pay higher taxes, meaning they earn less in the good times.

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"In the U.S. you need to keep pumping money into the economy so that people continue to be employed, because it is through being employed that they are protected," said Sapir. "Which is the better system? ... that is really a huge issue."

Here's a look at how the social safety nets of the U.S. and Europe compare:

UNEMPLOYMENT

Americans on unemployment were collecting an average of about $372 weekly before the coronavirus struck. But that could range from $215 in Mississippi to $543 in Hawaii. The rescue package gave jobless workers an additional $600 a week through July. It also extended benefits to those who lost work as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, which could include parents who needed to leave their jobs because schools were closed. Most states offer six months of unemployment but the emergency legislation adds 13 weeks.

By comparison, Germany's jobless benefit pays 60% of previous salary for a year. France provides up to 75% of the previous average daily wage for up to two years. Unemployment benefits in France average $1,320 per month.

And there are Europe's short-hours programs, which pay most of worker salaries if companies put them on shorter hours through a temporary disruption. More than 10 million workers are being paid that way in Germany and about 12 million in France, helping hold eurozone unemployment to 7.4%.

The U.S. emergency package included money for cheap loans to businesses that can be forgiven if the money is used mostly for payroll.

HEALTH INSURANCE

Nearly half of Americans receive health insurance through their employers, while another 34% get benefits through the government programs Medicare and Medicaid, 6% are insured individually and 9% in 2018 had no insurance at all.

In Europe, universal health coverage is the rule, generally funded by payroll or other taxes. One example is Britain's National Health Service, which is funded by taxes and offers free care that costs the government 7% of GDP per year.

MATERNITY

U.S. workers are entitled to unpaid family leave, but no federal law requires private employers to provide paid family leave. In the private sector, 16% of workers had access to paid family leave as of March 2018. Some states offer paid family leave insurance for 4 to 10 weeks.

In France, by contrast, mothers are entitled to at least 16 weeks of leave for their first child and must take at least 8 weeks. From the third child onward, they are allowed 26 weeks. Workers get a daily maternity leave allowance of up to $94.50. But some professions have their own more favorable deals, up to the complete payment of salaries.

Denmark gives 52 weeks of parental leave after a birth or adoption, to be shared by the parents; whether at full salary or not depends on workplace agreements.

DISABILITY

Roughly 8.3 million Americans collect disability benefits earned through Social Security contributions. The payments average $15,100 annually -- just above the poverty level for a one-person household of $12,760. Standards are strict and most applications are denied; people who don't qualify may wind up on food stamps, a basic subsistence program.

In France, the totally disabled are eligible for public health insurance payments of at least $311 a month and no more than $1,825. Those who are totally unable to work and also depend on help for daily tasks are eligible for $1,510 to $3,027 a month. The payments can be combined with other forms of income and be subjected to tax and social security contributions.

THE COST

Europe's more generous social safety nets come at a cost, largely paid through taxes levied on workers and employers.

In the United States, Social Security contributions amounted to 6% of GDP in 2018. In France it was almost three times higher, at 16% of annual GDP, while in Germany it was just over 14%.

​​​​​Information for this article was contributed by Sylvie Corbet, John Leicester, Josh Boak and Jan M. Olsen of The Associated Press.

A Section on 05/11/2020

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