Employment rates in France and Germany: Where are the differences?

It is well known that France’s low overall employment rate relative to Germany ’s explains why per capita income is significantly lower in France than in Germany despite the former’s high level of per capita productivity. Lifting France’s overall employment rate is therefore a legitimate economic policy objective. But to achieve it , policymakers need to know what accounts for the difference between France’s and Germany’s employment rates. Do es it stem from difference s between participation rates or between unemployment rates? From which age bracket, gender and skill level do es it stem? If France’s employment rate is to co n verge towards Germany’s, then French policymakers will have to work on : Youth employability; The retirement age; The employability of workers with intermediate education levels.