Ingrate French kids spurn French Family Values
Fortunately one of Independent Sources’ favorite econoblogs caught the story below from the Scotsman which we might have otherwise missed.
FRANCE is facing an unprecedented new-generation exodus as many of its disillusioned younger people leave in search of a better life abroad.
Fed up with a country they describe as rigid, racist and old-fashioned, French youngsters are opting for a new start in Britain, Canada, America or New Zealand where they can find housing and jobs more easily than in France.
Unemployment among the under-25s in France stands at 23.3 per cent, and 40 per cent of 18-30 year-olds describe their financial state as “difficult”.
Many cite French employment practices as being at the root of the problem.
Independent Sources is quite amused by this. Let’s remember NYT columnist Paul Krugman’s declaration that the French populace has made a unified choice for an economic model that gives them more time with their families. However, it appears that the resulting high unemployment of this policy is being disproportionality borne by the under-25 crowd. It doesn’t do much good to “spend time with the family” when one is chronically unemployed. Furthermore, young French job seekers realize that this isn’t a short-term economic cycle that they can ride through but instead it is a long-term attribute of the high-tax, high regulation socialistic model of the country. Since things are not going to get better, those hoping for better lives need to emigrate to economies with better opportunities, which is exactly what is happening.
Update: But they sure love Starbucks!
More on Independent Sources’ take on France.
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August 16th, 2005 at 11:27 am
Good for us. Give us your unemployed French folks, yearning to get a job and make a living for the betterment of our society.
I have only one suggestion. As soon as you get here, please don’t start politically agitating to change the US, trying to make it into the kind of system you left behind. Defeats the purpose.
August 16th, 2005 at 12:35 pm
Independent Sources ? Blog Archive ? Ingrate French kids spurn French Family Values
August 16th, 2005 at 1:05 pm
Wonder how many of them will actually speak fluent English? Communication with this age group (for anyone over 30) is dicey at best, a language barrier will not help. Let’s also consider that many of these post-adolescents will wind up working in retail. Do you really want to have to re-learn all the different types of jeans the GAP sells in French just so you can ask the bored-looking, pissed-off clerk to help you? I fear Starbucks will be an adjustment too. There are aspects of daily life that are annoying enough already, without having someone look down their nose at me because I mispronounce ‘croissant’.
And can we get a definition of “difficult’? From 18-30 you’re supposed to be figuring all your “stuff” out. It’s not supposed to be easy. You wil be broke, unless you come from money already. At 34 my financial situation isn’t ideal, but I work hard, try to get my bills paid on time and always strive for a better position. Let’s hope they aren’t under the mistaken idea that everyone in America is a reality TV star making millions for doing nothing.
August 16th, 2005 at 2:08 pm
This looks like a good situation for recruiting terrorists in France - young, unemployed, disenfranchised, etc.
March 14th, 2007 at 6:10 am
[…] ” Krugman (link requires registration; fisked nicely by Independent Sources here and here), point to Europe’s high-tax, high-regulation […]