The politics of unemployment policy in an age of austerity: France in comparative perspective

Abstract

The diversity of European responses to unemployment has increased since 2008. On the basis of an analysis of French labour market and employment policies since 2008, with a particular focus on the policy output under the Hollande presidency since 2012, this article argues that France has maintained a distinctive mix of labour market policies. Although in some respects France's pattern of labour market segmentation aligns it with what has been defined as a classic Mediterranean model, the Eurozone crisis has led to greater divergence between France and other countries in the Mediterranean cluster. Rather, France is one of several outliers in the continental economies that are undergoing distinctive dualizing processes of transition. Thus although the distinction between liberal market and coordinated market economies remains valid, there is evidence of converging pressures and trends (such as, at a very general level, deregulation and a search for bargained 'flexicurity') while at the same time multiple patterns of domestic change are at work.

Employment and labour market policy during the Hollande presidency: a tragedy in three acts?

“…The broad conclusion to be drawn from the long-term trend in unemployment is that both the Sarkozy and Hollande presidencies put in place policy mixes (see Barbier 2008;Milner 2012aMilner , 2014 which had the effect of temporarily slowing down the inexorable rise in unemployment but had little impact on its progression in the longer term, and François Hollande's specific pledge to reverse the tide of unemployment was not met. Ultimately, over and above personal mis-steps, this is what cost the incumbent his re-election and his legacy, and what caused the shock failure and current crisis of the ruling Socialist Party.…”

“…The two flagship measures on youth unemployment have been widely discussed (see Milner 2014). Broadly these initiatives correspond to a subsidised employment approach which has been criticised as having little effect on unemployment overall, because it leads to displacement of jobs.…”