Despite state aid to businesses, the pandemic has caused a sharp increase in the number of employment protection plans (PSE) in France. In 2020, 870 procedures were initiated, i.e. 77% more than the previous year. The trend continued in the first quarter of 2021 (+ 55% compared to the three previous months). In total, 1,050 PES have been triggered since the start of the health crisis.
As a result, no less than 775 PSEs were validated by the administration between March 2020 and May 2021, according to the latest data from DARES published on 1er July. A figure which remains very far from the 2,647 PES recorded in 2009 after the subprime crisis. For the moment, nearly 76,000 contracts have been terminated, contributing to a 7% increase in registrations at Pôle emploi between March 2020 and May 2021, compared to the same period of 2018-2019.
Clothing and the hotel and catering industry severely affected
Taking into account the number of establishments involved, clothing (19% of production units affected) and hotels and restaurants (14%) are the branches most affected. A third of the establishments in these branches are located in Ile-de-France. This region also accounts for 43% of the breaches of contract envisaged since the start of the health crisis. in private companies with more than 50 employees. Ile-de-France is followed by Occitanie (11% of establishments) and Hauts-de-France (10%).
The metallurgy and steel industry is the most affected by the health crisis in terms of the number of employees concerned. It represents 13% of jobs in private companies with more than 50 employees, but 21% of the layoffs envisaged this year. In Occitanie, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Center-Val de Loire and New Aquitaine, one in two breaches of contract concerns a job in this branch.
Next come design offices and business services (13% of planned breaks), hotels, restaurants and tourism (11%) and transport (11%). These four branches account for more than half of the layoffs planned under PSE since March 2020, while they account for 32% of employment in private companies with more than 50 employees.