Une journée chômée vs un jour férié

Hi Pamela, 

No, they are not interchangeable but can sometimes mean the same thing! 

This sounds paradoxical  but this is what I found on the differences,

I hope it helps -

1. "Jour férié" (Public holiday): - This is similar to a public holiday or bank holiday in English-speaking countries.  It's an official day off recognized by law, usually tied to national, religious, or commemorative events. These days are the same for everyone and are set by the national calendar (like July 14th in France or Christmas Day).  Salaried employees usually receive pay for these days.

2. "Jour chômé" (Non-working day): 

This translates roughly to a "non-working day" or "day off work."  It's not necessarily an official public holiday but a day when work is suspended. It can be specific to a company, industry, or region. - These days can vary between companies or sectors.  They may or may not be paid, depending on company policies or collective agreements.

The key difference:  All "jours fériés" (public holidays) are typically "jours chômés" (non-working days), but not all "jours chômés" are "jours fériés."

"Jours fériés" are set by law, while "jours chômés" can be decided by employers or negotiated with employees.

 

P.S : A chômeur/chômeuse is the term used for the 'unemployed'.

Bonne Continuation !