France Raises Minimum Wage by 3 Percent

The Associated Press ^ | June 26, 2006 | The Associated Press

[catpuppy]

$10.39 or $6.20, they are both arbitrary amounts dreamed up by those who won't have to pay them. They are much inferior to the wage rates and employment rates set by Mr. Market who actually pays the bills and does the hiring.

[D-fendr]

$10.39? That's ridiculously high.

No, you're missing the logic. They should make it a million dollars a year. Oila, everyone is rich. No more poverty.

[Cobra64]

The French standard work week is 35 hours, they take 13 weeks of vacation, and they raise the minimum wage again? Why not raise it to U$D 50.00/week?

[D-fendr]

In fact, we should start a movement in this country. Democrats are campaigning on an increase in the minimum wage. There should be a campaign condemning them for their heartlessness.

Why raise the minimum wage a piddly amount when they could vote everyone rich? Cruel, selfish democrats...

[Cobra64]

It should be $5.15 in 1997 dollars, adjusted for inflation, IMO...which would make it about $6.20 today.

Why?

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

[One of the highest in Europe, minimum wage in France has increased by more than 17 percent in the last four years... ]

It's good to see that their productivity has increased enough to allow this. :O)

[Caipirabob]

Word is the public opinion of the adminstration has improved, as only 99.7% of the usual 200 cars a night were torched. Frankly, it's a much more accurate method to measure approval than using polls...

[DustyMoment]

France Raises Minimum Wage by 3 Percent

What's the unemployment rate there, again??

[The Great RJ]

French unemployment saw its largest drop in six years to 9.1%.

Hardly much to brag about and these unemployment numbers are likely significantly understated. I'm sure the French (as do we)count part time workers as fully employed and probably ignore thousands of able bodied French who are living on one or more of the government doles. Raising the minimum wage coupled with the current law that virtually makes it impossible for an employer to fire or layoff any employees will cause unemployment to jump not decrease.

[cowtowney]

Interesting to see which countries are successful and why. This website gives you the big picture:

http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/countries.cfm

[xpertskir]

Great illustration of data.

Look at all those eastern block countries in the top 25. WATCH OUT WORLD The eastern block will be coming on strong with the continued support of free markets, not to mention the cheap labor force they house. When the serious FDI starts they will be taking off in a hurry. This is good, maybe they will snap all the euroweenies into shape.

They all remember just how great communism was.
/Sarc

[cowtowney]

"Look at all those eastern block countries in the top 25. WATCH OUT WORLD The eastern block will be coming on strong with the continued support of free markets, not to mention the cheap labor force they house. When the serious FDI starts they will be taking off in a hurry. This is good, maybe they will snap all the euroweenies into shape."

What about Ireland at No. 3? If the Euroweenies don't snap in shape after what Ireland has shown them, I don't think the eastern block will matter. The Old Europe is getting their butts kicked and I'm not sure they even know it.