France: First assessment of new transition contracts

The employment ministry has released its first assessment of a new contract introduced in seven targeted areas across France in April 2006.

Designed to assist redundant workers or those likely to lose their jobs from enterprises with fewer than 1,000 employees, the new type of contract (contrat de transition professionnelle, CTP) allows workers to combine looking for employment with attending training courses and carrying out periods of work in private companies and public sector organisations.