[Work after age 55: recent trends and forecast elements]

Labor force participation in France of those aged over 55 years is analyzed in this article. "The drop in the participation rate in later years is a longterm trend found in most developed countries. It is a common method for reducing working hours over an entire life cycle and has been made possible by the growth in productivity and the development of pension schemes. However, the phenomenon grew in the mid-1970s, especially in France, due to the growth in early retirement and end-of-career unemployment and also the lowering of the legal retirement age. The participation rate in France is now very low after sixty and is one of the lowest in Europe for the 55-to-59-year-old age bracket." (SUMMARY IN ENG AND GER AND SPA)