This One Change Could Turbocharge France’s Economy

If there’s one thing that defines modern-day France, it’s stringent labor laws that make it hard to lay workers off.

A “job for life” might be exaggerating, but such laws — “once hired, hard to fire” — have been a key feature of the social compact that’s largely defined France and much of the rest of Europe for the last 70 years.

It also makes it tough for companies to adapt and grow in a fast-changing global economy. According to Bloomberg, France’s labor courts hear 150,000 individual cases a year involving firings that a worker, or his union, believes unfair; the country’s laws on the subject run to 3,000 pages.

Enter new French President Emmanuel Macron with a small but highly important change that could turbocharge France’s economy…

Macronomics

With a 10% jobless rate — yet thousands of protesters marching in the streets protesting labor reform — France’s new leaders have to do something.

According to Reuters, Macron “invoked special powers” in recent days to push through changes in labor laws that will make it easier for companies to hire and fire staff. Presuming they don’t get sidetracked in court or in Parliament, the new laws would go into effect by decree in September.

How big a deal is this? As Macron’s new friend in the White House might say, it’s gonna be huge.

“The Mother of All Reforms”

That’s what France’s finance minister called the labor reform effort in an interview in Le Figaro back in June. It’s that big.

The International Monetary Fund already raised its 2017 forecast for France’s economic growth to 1.5%, adding it could “further accelerate” next year.