France Market
French Productive Workforce
The French have a longer working week than, for example, in the US, Germany, Britain, Ireland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Scandinavian countries. The work week is 38 hours, superior to the average European Union 27 members.
Legislation concerning the 35-hour work week has been relaxed, with the launch of a quota of 220 overtime hours, the possibility to work “extra hours” over and above this quota, and the possibility to negotiate yearly rates. The result is increased workload organization flexibility, leading to higher performance rates in France in terms of productivity.
The French have exceptionally high performance rates in terms of productivity. France offers one of the best hourly productivity rates in the world, with performances that are 20% higher than the European average.
One of the reasons that the French are so productive is their high level of training: 7% of France’s GDP is spent on education and training. The French educational system is free and open to everybody. It is designed to provide the business world with employees that are able to rapidly adapt to competitiveness constraints.
2.2 million French employees work for international companies in France.
Two thirds of professionals under 30 in France speak English. A high percentage of the French population goes on to higher education, and France is ranked 2nd in Europe for the percentage of employees who hold a scientific or technical degree.
With the quality schooling and higher education available in France, French workers are capable of adapting to changes in organization and work methods throughout their career. According to an OECD study, French employees offer companies a higher level of flexibility. This flexibility is also driven by access to ongoing professional training. Each year, France spends 1.5% of total GDP on employee training programs and apprenticeships. Half of this effort is funded by the government. This investment equals 1,000 hours of training per employee during their career.
These performances, which might seem paradoxical to those who believe French workers are not dedicated, are not just the result of high levels of training. Over the past few years, tens of thousands of businesses have restructured their work methods and organization to significantly increase their flexibility.
2nd rank in Europe in terms of hourly productivity.
In addition, the French are very creative. International competition today is depends on industrial research and innovation. France has, therefore, adopted an ambitious policy to develop clusters (or “pôles de compétitivité”), which are hubs of industry intelligence and expertise, bringing together research institutes, training centers and businesses.
In 2006, research scientists working in France registered over 17,000 scientific patents in diverse research fields, including automotive, biotechnology, textiles and nuclear energy. France is ranked 2nd worldwide in terms of the number of patents registered and 4th worldwide in terms of R&D expenditure.