Why would it be? Europe is getting hit a lot harder and its economy is quickly collapsing. European banks were also weaker and less stress resistant than their US's counterparts so their ability to lend isn't a strong. Same thing for the EU corporations themselves, who are usually more in debt and have less access to non-bank financing (ie public bonds markets). So I'd be really surprised if we saw more lay offs in the US at the end of this

Norway is seeing its share of layoffs. I think it's mostly related to corona affected businesses like bars, restaurants, travel, retail and also oil & gas since the oil price fell like a rock.

Norway went from 65 000 to 290 000 unemployed since beginning of March.

We also have something called "permittering" where you don't loose your job, but you stop working and get aid from the state. It's meant for temporary dips where there is less work for your company but you think it'll pick up within the next 6 months. Pay is usually ~66% of your regular salary.

For "permitteringer" we went from 1 000 - 2 000 per month on average to 345 000 in the last 1 1/2 months.

In Norway we have around 2.67 million people in work. So we have seen a reduction of our workforce by 10% since beginning of March.

Sources: - https://e24.no/spesial/2020/coronaviruset/permitteringer - https://www.ssb.no/arbeid-og-lonn/statistikker/arblonn

It depends on what you mean.

Italy is basically under state salary, the only one not using it, are companies with a meaning in this crisis (food producer etc...)

If you're basing this view off of HN, then remember that HN generally has a high percentage of users from US/SV/VC scene.

At least in the Netherlands many people, primarily service workers, have been let go: https://nos.nl/artikel/2330625-sterke-stijging-aantal-nieuwe...

I'm in neither of those places and we have a dramatic increase in unemployment (4% -> 26%), mostly furloughed employees. The local government is encouraging it probably because they don't need any special new legislation or methods to provide unemployment benefits.

I agree. In Spain most people are getting ERTEs, which allow you to keep the job, the state pays 80% of your salary.

Also firing people is now temporaly banned (technically not, but it's much much more difficult to do until we're out of the state of alarm).

Berlin is pretty nuts, lots of firing going on.