The French and Work: the divorce?

The employment rates of young and older people in France are among the lowest in the developed world, a country where unemployment is also structurally high. These rates reflect the lack of integration into society of many working people and citizens in these age groups.

Is this a sign of a divorce between the French and work, accentuated by the recent crises? Is it an “epidemic of laziness” as diagnosed by the IFOP, an equivalent of “The Great Resignation” from the United States, or a relationship to work disrupted by the COVID crisis? While the outlook is worrying, there is no fatality, as the success of policies to support apprenticeships has shown.

The “Demographic Transitions, Economic Transitions” Chair is reviving what is certainly the most important debate for the future of French society as the demographic transition accelerates. The various insights of the personalities present will enable a precise diagnosis to be made and will feed the discussions on the levers of action capable of reconciling seniors and young people, employers and future employees, around a renewed labour pact.

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