FRANCE The

Table 8: Numbers entering Early Retirement Schemes since 1992
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
National Employment Fund Special Allowance Agreement (ASFNE)
Number of
annual entries
Number of
beneficiaries,
45837 56345 49462 23683 21015 21669 18672 11993 7920 6740
end of Dec. 162558 174662 179219 152409 128442 107789 90654 73411 59939 48045
Phased-In Early Retirement
Number of
annual entries
Number of
beneficiaries,
4517 10616 22282 26858 24262 20870 16717 13372 11117 12357
end of Dec. 13114 17145 30910 52520 54672 55032 52112 44675 42045 42764
Job Substitution Allowance (ARPE)
Number of
annual entries
Number of
beneficiaries,
2650 52211 35353 43438 45170 37461 21354
end of Dec.
End of Career Leave (CFA)
Number of
2622 49523 65795 76917 84519 86580 73121
annual entries
Number of
beneficiaries,
19168 10782 15564 11888 12965
end of Dec. 10061 12117 15142 18407 21579
Designated Employee Retirement Leave (CATS)
Number of
annual entries
Number of
beneficiaries,
5218 5313
end of Dec. 5218 9152
Early Retirement for Asbestos Workers (CAATA)
Number of
annual entries
Number of
beneficiaries,
3894 5803
end of Dec. 3785 9152
Total
Number of
annual entries
Number of
beneficiaries,
50354 66961 71744 53191 97488 97060 89609 86099 77498 64532
end of Dec. 175672 191807 210129 207551 232637 238677 231800 217747 215974 204532
employer’s financial contribution to the scheme. 9 In raising the level
in this way, it is the aim of the authorities not simply to restrict the
use of this provision, but to redirect it towards inclusion in
redundancy schemes, where it is to function to aid restructuring. In
2001, 6,740 people joined this scheme (as against 21,669 in 1997)
and since 1997 the number receiving the allowance has fallen by
more than a half.
• The Job Substitution Allowance (Allocation de remplacement pour
l’emploi or ARPE). This scheme, which was agreed by the social
9 The rate of employer’s contribution now varies from 17.5 to 20.5% for SMEs and from 28 to 31% for large companies.
Spring 2003 | European Employment Observatory Review 81
Trends
Source: Unedic, Ministère de la fonction publique, CNAM. Tabulated by DARES.
partners in September 1995, enables employees, who wish to do
so, to end their working life, provided that they meet certain age
and contribution criteria. Between the time of leaving and the
point at which their retirement pension falls due, they receive a
replacement income equal to 65% of their previous reference
salary. This scheme, which requires the agreement of the
employer and a commitment on their part to maintain the overall
volume of hours worked by taking on one or more new workers,
has enabled many companies to achieve a younger age-pyramid.