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French Attempt at German-Style Labor Reform Flounders
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"Kurzarbeit" job preservation programs incorporate an idea that workers make up for less pay when a company is doing well by being paid and on the job when a company is doing poorly, leading to job preservation benefitting the employee and skills preservation benefitting the company. In 2013 in the throes of the eurozone crisis France passed a labor reform law and committed to improving competitiveness by adopting some ideas from its close neighbor and partner in the eurozone experiment, Germany. But experts say little has changed. France's unemployment is at a high of 10.4% in the third quarter 2014, according to the French statistics office Insee, with little prospect of economic growth in 2015. What happened? A report commissioned by the French and German governments from economists Jean Pisani-Ferry and Henrik Enderlein, says job preservation agreements in France are too strict and ineffective. Half a million more people are without jobs in Dec. 2014 compared to May 2012 when president Hollande took office. Insolvencies in France are 35% higher in 2014 than the average between 2003-2007, for Germany 31% lower, according to credit insurer Euler Hermes. Just in the 12 months to Sept 30, 63,000 companies in France were declared insolvent. Job preservation agreements have failed because other changes in the legal system are needed. Currently a company must prove to an employee council why it is reducing wages in a downturn. A small group of employees can still reject the agreement and ask for severance packages, leading to layoffs. The reforms were done in piecemeal fashion, say economists Jean Pisani-Ferry and Henrik Enderlein.
Slow adoption of "kurzarbeit" type job saving programs in France 2012-2014 and unemployment reaching 10.4% in 3rd quarter 2014
12/05/2014
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Sarkozy, Hollande and the unions are in agreement on adopting some aspects of what Germany did to reduce high unemployment in the last decade- adjusting wages and benefits in recessionary periods to avert layoffs. The German "kurzarbeit" program is more elaborate and France has to make more progress to adopt that type of arrangement, but the direction is clear and has popular support in France in 2012-2013.
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"Kurzarbeit" and work sharing helped Germany deal with stubborn unemployment in the last decade and after the 2008 financial crisis. France is already looking at cooperation between industry, unions an government to reduce unemployment by adopting some of the actions taken in Germany.
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The saying goes that "the French work to live and the Germans live to work." Alsace has been part of France and of Germany at different times in history. Here one sees the two systems in close proximity, the French more attuned to state control than the German model, with more regulations. Changes were made in Germany with labor reforms during an earlier period of high unemployment, while things have not changed as much in France. The German apprenticeship system works well there but a university degree is favored by French families. The efforts to make the French system work with high unemployment and the active debate in France for improvements.
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Piecemeal implementation of "kuzarbeit" type job preservation efforts leads to failure in France with unemployment reaching 10.4% by the third quarter of 2014, according to Insee. Proper implementation would require changes in the legal system, and a change in the culture for business, trade unions.
Linked Articles
French Attempt at German-Style Labor Reform Flounders
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