經濟緊縮期間的社會投資政策：德國與台灣的比較分析

Social Investment Policies in the Time of Crisis: The Case of Kurzarbeitergeld

在2007年開始的一波金融海嘯，以及2019年年底以來於世界各國逐步擴大的新型冠狀病毒肺炎疫情，各國政府採取諸多措施以提供事業單位及其勞工足夠的經濟安全保障，乃至於人力資本維持與促進之措施，以能夠保護一國整體的生產力。據此，同時考量經濟安全與人力資本形成及發展的社會政策理念，為社會投資論述的核心概念。與此同時，國際間的實務與學術工作者，發現德國所施行的短工津貼制度，為其勞動市場得以相對其他國家安然度過經濟緊縮期間的主要因素之一。即便如此，德國對於短工津貼制度的設定，僅為消極性勞動政策的一環，並未將之視為社會投資政策。再者，我國於前一波的金融海嘯，實已仿效該制度而擬定「僱用安定措施」，但其精神及內涵與參考對象具有顯著的差異，以致於未曾發揮其功效。對此，本文嘗試以社會投資論述檢視短工津貼制度之內涵，瞭解其制度特性與功能，發現短工津貼制度符合社會投資論述所提及的「存量」、「流動」與「緩衝」三個主要政策功能與理念。再者，亦藉此反思我國現行措施的調整方向，以能確切展現制度的成效。本研究認為，將其設定為常態性的制度、再檢視雇主使用該制度所應負的責任，並思考緩和對非核心勞工相對不利的相關措施，應為保障緊縮期間經濟安全與人力資源之政策考量方向。因此，德國的短工津貼制度，應可做為我國後續相關政策制訂時的參考對象。

"During the economic recessions caused by global financial crisis in 2007 and COVID-19 in late 2019, bailouts for companies as well as economic and employment security for employees inevitably became the main issues in order to respond to the crises around the world. In other words, maintaining people's economic security and securing labour force and productivity are the aims of policies, which fit the main idea of social investment. Among the policies applied in the world, Germany's Kurzarbeitergeld was mentioned to be one of the reasons that led Germany get through the crisis between 2007 and 2010, and could be a remedy to employment insecurity in this time. Even though the Kurzarbeitergeld was recognised as a passive benefit scheme, but it performed exactly the natures of social investment. Besides, The Taiwanese government had established an Employment Stabilisation Scheme based on the Kurzarbeitergeld, but it had never been activated due to the built-in limitations. This research intends to tackle two main issues mentioned above. On the one hand, whether the Kurzarbeitergeld a sort of social investment policy? On the other hand, how to modify the Employment Stabilisation Scheme in order to respond to the needs during crises? This article argues that Kurzarbeitergeld functions as a policy that boosts the 'stock' of human capital, smooths the 'flows' in lifetime, and provides a 'buffer' to maintain economic security, which makes a special kind of social investment scheme. This research also suggests that to recognise the Employment Stabilisation Scheme an employment security policy for all time, to stress it more on employers' responsibility for economic risks, and to integrate it with vocational education and training system as a whole are the ways making it a social investment strategy in Taiwan."