Economics

Spain’s Emergency Wage Support May Be Extended Yet Again in 2021

Minister gives clearest statement yet on future of program
Furloughed worker total could increase beyond current 685,000

Empty tables stand outside cafes in Madrid, on Oct. 2. — Empty tables stand outside cafes in Madrid, on Oct. 2.
Photographer: Paul Hanna/Bloomberg

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By Jeannette Neumann and Rodrigo Orihuela

October 5, 2020 at 2:12 PM EDT

Updated on

October 6, 2020 at 2:43 AM EDT

This article is for subscribers only.

Spain is prepared to extend its furlough program beyond January, Social Security Minister Jose Luis Escriva said, in the clearest statement yet on the future of the wage-support policy.

“We stand ready to reevaluate the situation,” Escriva said in an interview on Monday with Bloomberg News, one week after the government agreed to prolong its previous aid measure through Jan. 31. “A lot will depend on a vaccine.”