When the difficulties of businesses are cyclical and transitory, banks can, indeed must, contribute to safeguarding production capacity. Recourse to the Wage Supplementation Fund in industry covered a number of hours equivalent to about 26,000 full-time employees in the first half of 2001; it rose rapidly in 2003 to 48,000 employees. In the early months of this year it rose further, to 58,000 employees.
Use of Wage Supplementation has increased especially in the machinery and textile sectors. Where it is possible and appropriate, banks must work for the restructuring and reorientation of production capacity and assist the business sector in the process of consolidation aimed at augmenting the average size of firms.