France: Short-time benefit scheme revised

The French Government implemented a number of changes to statutory short-time working benefit in December 2008 and January 2009, with the aim of improving the scheme's capacity to mitigate the employment consequences of the economic downturn.

Short-time working benefit (indemnisation du chômage partiel) is paid by the state to employees when their earnings are cut because their employer temporarily closes all or part of its business, or reduces collective working hours, because of economic difficulties or exceptional circumstances.