Assessments of the Aubry Laws which established the 35-hour work week in France.generally rely on business data. These make it possible to identify only the short-term effects, when work-sharing can reduce cyclical unemployment.Our article studies the medium-term effects of the Aubry Laws using a disaggregated model of the labor market to examine the legislation.s three components: (1) shortening of working time per se, (2) greater opportunities for workplace reorganization, and (3) cuts in social contributions. The findings show a net loss of jobs linked to the sharp decline in productivity, but this impact is cushioned by the introduction of flexible working time and cuts in social contributions.
Keywords
- shortening of working time
- cuts in social contributions
- effect on long-term unemployment