If you only look at the group of employees who were effectively affected by (long-term) temporary unemployment – about one in three of all employees – the gross loss of income already rises to an average of 5,630 euros, or 15.1 percent. After compensatory payments, a net loss of 858 euros (or 3.1 percent) remained for the whole of 2020.
That average doesn’t say everything either. Income loss varied widely from sector to sector. For employees in the catering industry, the gross loss of income rose to 11,750 euros: or a decrease of no less than 40.4 percent. After the compensating government measures, that loss fell to a net EUR 1,496, or an average decrease in purchasing power of 4.6 percent. A similar calculation for personnel in the arts and entertainment sector shows a loss of EUR 922 (or 3.9 percent) in net disposable income.