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How Germany's Kurzarbeit Saved Jobs During the Pandemic
In this episode of The Productivity Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore Germany's Kurzarbeit — the short-time work scheme that kept millions employed during the COVID-19 pandemic. They break down how the program works, its roots in the 2008 financial crisis, and the numbers behind its success: at its peak in 2020, over 6 million workers were on Kurzarbeit, yet unemployment rose only modestly. The hosts discuss the economic logic of subsidizing labor hoarding, the trade-offs for productivity, and whether such a model could work in the U.S. or UK. With insights from economists like Michael…
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