In addition to the changes in France, Portugal and Ireland discussed above, measures to reduce employer social contributions for all new hires were introduced or extended focusing on groups such as mid- to longer-term unemployed (Hungary, Hirkey) and peripheral regions (Finland). In the United States, firms making new hires from February to December 2010 of people who have been unemployed for at least two months will be exempted from payroll taxes. Public finance issues have forced the Czech Republic to terminate temporary reductions in non-wage labour costs targeted at low-wage workers. Take-up has been highest in Belgium, Turkey, Italy, Germany and Luxembourg, accounting for over 3 to almost 6% of all employees. With the exception of Belgium, few employees were participating in short-time work schemes prior to the onset of the crisis. Participating in training is compulsory for workers on short-time work in the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands and Portugal.42 While training is not compulsory, it is publicly-subsidised for short-time workers in Finland, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, Poland, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Norway and Switzerland.