What is really abnormal in the French economy?
Political debate in France often cites as anomalies in the French economy: Inequality. But inequality after redistributive policies is low in France relative to other countries, thanks to very large redistribution; Insufficient social welfare. But France spends more on everything (healthcare, pensions, family, labour market, etc.) than other countries; Underspending on education. But education system under performance is not only a matter of resources; Low wages at the bottom. But the minimum wage is higher relative to the median wage in France than in other OECD countries. It would therefore be better to focus on what is really abnormal in the French economy: The low number of jobs and the poor quality of jobs, in particular due to the low weight of manufacturing employment and, as a result, the external deficit in industrial products; In a related manner, low skills, leading to a low employment rate and to deindustrialisation; Abnormally high housing costs.