15 Countries Paying Their Workers More Than The US During COVID-19

The US government has been absolutely killing it as far as the economic response to the COVID-19 crisis, at least according to the US Government. For everyone else, it feels fair to describe the response as “a slap across the face with a wet, piss-soaked sock.” In terms of direct relief, residents of the US have received a whopping $1800 ($600 of this unreceived and subject to change at the time of writing.) Businesses facing insolvency and at the bare minimum, layoffs in the fallout of a global pandemic, were invited to apply for a one-time loan, forgivable only if spent within 8 weeks, with a set minimum percentage going towards payroll. (This was later extended to 24 weeks due to outcry.) Unfortunately, this was after most businesses had already spent most of the loan, the average amount of which was $107,000. (Though some received much more, such as the roofing business owned by White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany's family, which received $2 million.) Basically, business owners and economists alike agree that it was a bad idea that didn't work.

But in such extenuating circumstances and unprecedented times, could anyone have done any better? Here's several countries that say, “yes, absolutely.”