The acceleration of the firm failure rate in France between 2008 and 2010 was preceded by a surge in the number of firms’ creations in 2003-2004. Therefore, identifying the impact of the 2008 crisis requires to distinguish, among the failures occurring over the period, those resulting from the...

Il est souvent avance que l'assiette actuelle des cotisations sociales, la masse salariale, penalise l'emploi en rencherissant le cout du seul facteur travail et en incitant en consequence les entreprises a substituer du capital au travail. Cette etude propose une caracterisation des entreprises...

In 2009, the crisis affected SME’s profitability more than their financial structure. Major differences remain between SMEs, with increasing numbers of failures in this category. The decline in investment, which was already weak before the crisis, is compromising their ability to recover in...

This paper focuses on the access of independent French SMEs to bank lending and analyzes whether the observed evolution of credit to SMEs over the recent period was "demand driven" as a result of the decrease in firms' activity and investment projects or was "supply driven" with an increase in...

SMEs in the manufacturing sector in France have an adequate level of capital and reserves and a relatively small amount of debt. Trade accounts receivable and payable are greater than in German SMMEs and their profitability remained below that of their German counterparts.

In 2006, industrial activity accelerated, sustained by SMEs, whose debt ratios were reduced while those of large firms increased. Holding companies now bear over one-third of manufacturing groups’ bank loans.

Payemnt periods shortened in 2009. The decline is no longer due entirely to SMEs; it now concerns MTEs a well as large companies. It generates cash earnings, chiefly for SMEs.