Today over half a million people are receiving either pandemic payments, unemployment benefits, or wage subsidies. Over 300,000 of those citizens were in work at the start of this month, when the economy was at or near full employment. Remember four weeks ago, when we were worried about how to invest that €11 billion surplus?  Well, we can replace that worry with a brace of other ones. Covic-19 has, at least temporarily, wiped out the gains in employment made since the 2007/8 crisis. It has forced the state into a moment of hyperactive, adrenalised motion, during which anything could be…

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