Ministry: Eight million employees given financial assistance during pandemic

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Turkey has spent 57 billion lira (6.6 billion USD) to support employees since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in Turkey in March 2020, according to figures by the Ministry of Labor and Social Services.

About eight million employees benefited from short-time work allowance, cash support or unemployment benefits during this period.

The government stopped financial aid to employees as of July 1 when most coronavirus restrictions were lifted.

"In the March 2020-June 2021 period, 3 million 773 thousand employees from 506 thousand 624 firms benefited from the short time work allowance," Minister Vedat Bilgin said, adding that 36 billion lira (4.2 billion USD) was paid to employees.

Some 3.1 million employees who were put on unpaid leave and could not benefit from the unemployment fund were paid 13.9 billion lira (1.6 billion USD), said the minister.

Also, 6.4 billion lira of unemployment benefits were paid to 1.1 million employees, he said.

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(HA/VK)