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Did the 35-hour week damage the French economy? (in French).

Relevant because it compares labor cost changes over quite long periods and shows the impact of the Harz IV reforms in Germany.

Wind power

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Fri Nov 29th, 2013 at 12:54:33 PM EST

Labor unit manufacturing costs

Wind power

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Fri Nov 29th, 2013 at 12:55:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Can minimum wage, pension increases, and high wage increases in German industries balance European economy? Acts which are likely to increase internal consumption in Germany seems to be easier for Germans to accept than transfers to other Eurozone countries.
by Jute on Mon Dec 2nd, 2013 at 01:38:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Five years ago, the answer to that question was unambiguously "yes."

Today... I'm not so sure.

Increased exports to Germany supposes the existence of export industries in the periphery, which in turn supposes the existence of industry in the periphery. And Germany has been busy spending the last four to five years making damn sure that there's nothing resembling a functioning industrial state anywhere in the Mediterranean drainage basin.

It may well require substantial German reparations to get to the point where German import demand can drive an industrialization of the periphery's industry.

- Jake

Friends come and go. Enemies accumulate.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Mon Dec 2nd, 2013 at 02:43:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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