A Labour Market for All !

The countries in which employment rebounded after the crisis – Italy, Spain and Portugal – all conducted sweeping labour market reforms. In Germany or in the Scandinavian countries, training for young people and less-qualified groups has been made a priority by the State and social partners.

Today, the situation on France’s labour market is increasingly becoming cause for concern. Never since World War II has unemployment been so high. The most vulnerable groups are kept out of the labour market: amongst young people, unemployment is near 25%, and twice that much in certain territories; unemployment in the senior population is by definition long-term; and 4 out of every 5 unemployed persons do not hold a Baccalaureate.

In France, the risk of unemployment is not only high, but also very unevenly spread, thus sustaining the wariness in society toward institutions, and sometimes providing fodder to radical movements. To which countries can France look to improve the way its labour market works overall? How can it help young people, senior workers, the under-qualified and those born of immigration become better suited to the job market?