Les performances des entreprises selon leur situation à l'égard des 35 heures*

Résumé 0

In order to lower unemployment, the French government decided in 1998 to reduce the working time to 35 hours a week for full time workers. This measure made the firms change their choices with respect to employment, labour duration and organisation, and production. This article evaluates ex post effects of these different choices on firms performance. A more than 100, 000 firms sample built from different datasets has therefore been designed. Firms’ decision to shift to 35 hours is not the result of a random process. Effects related to the measure and to own firms growth caracteristics have therefore to be distinguished when considering firms performance evolution. The non parametric method to correct for selection bias allows it. Econometric results stress on the fact that the shift to 35 hours led to a significant employment increase of at least 5 points, without worsening firms economic situation as expected from many ex ante theoretical points of view.