The number of overtime-exempt expenses remained virtually unchanged in the third quarter 2009 compared to the previous one, according to latest statistics from the ACOSS, the federation Urssaf. It now stands at 166.8 million hours, equivalent to 300 000 more than the second quarter. On a year because of the crisis requires, however, it drops by 9.2% but with very strong variations by sector of activity.

In industry, traditionally strong consumer of overtime, and the decline exceeds 20% a year, particularly in the metals and fabricated metal products (- 30.6%).

The downturn is intensifying in the construction, it also adept overtime, since the decline reached 9.1% year, four points lower than the second quarter.

The decline was however more moderate in services, – 5.5% a year, mainly because of reduced degradation in the interim (- 30.3%, after – 47% in the second quarter).

Small firms resist

The amount of overtime was ultimately declined less in very small (- 0.2% in one year) than in large (-12.1%) companies "because of the very small proportion of which remained 39 hours, have a structural use of overtime ", says ACOSS in its statement.

The annual decline is also evident in all departments. To the north and east of the hexagon that the decline is greater (less than – 13%) while the Ile-de-France and most departments of the South experiencing moderate declines in the number overtime (between 0 and – 13%).

Only a few departments, Corsica and the Mediterranean (Languedoc-Roussillon, Gard, Var …) actually experience a slight increase of about 10%.

In total, nearly 40% of companies today continue to seek exemptions from overtime, the lowest rate recorded since the entry into force of the measure contained in legislation Tepa in summer 2007. The more companies are consuming less than 10 employees have benefited from 29.5% to 673.1 million euros granted in the third quarter. The larger the company, the less the volume of aid is therefore the more than 2 000 employees affecting only 8.6% of the total.