In Germany, the accord between industry and government to keep short-time workers on the payrolls has had a similar effect.

ECONOMIST: The euro-area economy

The short-time arrangements mean that workers stay in employment and keep their skills fresh.

ECONOMIST: Rebalancing the world economy: Germany

France's notoriously burdensome labour regulations deter hiring full-time workers and ensure a strong demand for staff on short-term contracts.

ECONOMIST: Manpower

Around 1.4m workers are on the short-time register, many of them in the depressed car and capital-goods industries.

ECONOMIST: Rebalancing the world economy: Germany

Unless regulations are relaxed to allow more short-term workers into Britain, full-time British jobs will be put at risk and the demand for illegal labour will continue to grow.

ECONOMIST: Seasonal labour: Slim pickings | The

Other measures discussed, such as introducing a car-scrapping subsidy, supporting workers on short time and improving car companies' access to finance, have reached no conclusion.

ECONOMIST: Manufacturers are vexed by half-baked offers of help

However, he points out that this time, manufacturing companies and workers are seeking short-term working and pay freeze agreements in order to retain skilled workers, in contrast to the mass layoffs in the 1980s.

BBC: A tale of three recessions

Much of this growth actually represents a negative for the overall jobs picture, as many of these posts represent short-term demand from other companies that are too cautious to hire full-time workers.

WSJ: CEOs Say Don't Expect Much Hiring

As October ended, 19% of metal-workers were officially out of work, and half of those left were on short time.

ECONOMIST: Millennium issue: German hyperinflation