new aid for companies that continue to suffer from the crisis

Jean Castex announces reinforced support for two months for companies with fewer than 250 employees in the sectors hotels, restaurants, caterers, events and travel agencies. All continue to see their activity affected by the restrictions linked to the health crisis, and are particularly confronted with the lack of a lack of manpower. Since the start of the pandemic, the State has already mobilized some 240 billion euros for these sectors.

The new measures run from December 2021 and January of this year and are aimed at companies with fewer than 250 employees. These companies which lose 30% of their turnover due to the restrictions taken at the end of 2021 to curb the fifth wave of Covid are entitled to exceptional aid to pay their social security contributions on wages. Aid of an amount equal to 20% of their payroll.

With regard to companies whose losses are greater, the level at which aid is triggered remains less than 250 employees, but if they lose more than 65% of their turnover, they will benefit from an exemption from employer contributions in addition. 20% assistance for the payment of employee contributions. Very valuable for caterers and event companies which, since the end of the year, have been recording cancellation after cancellation and are particularly affected by this because they do not have ancillary activities such as restaurants which can remain open.

The hotel and catering industry has seen its workforce melt away during the crisis. Many employees have decided to change jobs and the various branches are working to improve working conditions and wages in order to become attractive again. A recent union agreement provides for a minimum wage 5% higher than the minimum wage and an average increase of 16% for the entire wage scale. This weighs on already inglorious financial results. These are the initiatives that the government intends to support through the new financial assistance plan.