The Minister of Labor said on Tuesday that 25,000 checks on requests for short-time working had led to 1,400 "suspicions" of fraud, whether it be fraud or false statements. Files have already been sent to justice, others will be. 

Labor Minister Elisabeth Borne told RTL on Tuesday that 25,000 checks on requests for short-time working had led to 1,400 "suspicions" of fraud. Around 700 companies are suspected of making false statements and as many of scams. Files have already been sent to justice, others will be. "We will pass this on to justice, we will be intractable with those who hijack the system," added Elisabeth Borne.

Two types of fraud: scam, and false statements

Questioned by AFP, the Ministry of Labor distinguished two types of fraud: fraud (identity theft, fictitious companies) and false declarations (hours declared to be different from non-working hours, for example). Some checks have made it possible to regularize erroneous requests, the ministry said. "We do a lot of checks: we have already done 25,000, we will do 50,000 by the end of the summer," added the minister.

A month ago, Muriel Pénicaud, then Minister of Labor, had indicated that the first 3,000 checks on requests for partial unemployment had led to "850 suspicions of fraud" and four procedures for "fraud".

Up to two years' imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 euros

From the confinement and to compensate for the resulting stoppage of activity, the government has broadened the possibility of resorting to partial unemployment in France. According to an estimate from the Ministry of Labor, 7.2 million French people were on short-time work one or more days a week in March, 8.8 million in April, 7.9 million in May and 4.5 in June.

In the event of fraud, the penalties range up to two years' imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 euros, and as regards administrative penalties, they provide for the reimbursement of aid and exclusion from the benefit of aid up to 5 years.