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France's Recent Economic Activity

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Global Business Context Assignment 2008 Part 1: France’s economic performance over the last 40 years can be illustrated using three main macroeconomic variables; unemployment, inflation and GDP. When comparing them against each other, we can explain the relationships between each variable. (A table of the variables can be found in the appendix.) This graph shows that although there appears to be no direct relationship between GDP and unemployment until after around 1986, a correlation begins after this point. As we would expect to see, GDP increases as the rate of unemployment falls and vice-versa. Unemployment has been increasing since 1970 and continued until around 1986, eventually peaking with very high rates of nearly 12% …show more content…

This part of supply side policy leads to a more efficient use of resources within the public sector and simultaneously, a reduction in its size. It should allow for investment to increase with no shift in the aggregate demand curve, avoiding rises in inflation. (Sloman 2005) Tax cuts also feature heavily in supply-side policy and were a key component of the Thatcher and Major governments between 1979 and 1997. Sarkozy has also proposed tax cuts, capping income tax at 50% for the highest earners. Twinned with making the 35 hour week more flexible by including tax free overtime in his policy, this reinforces Sarkozy’s slogan, ‘work more to earn more’. (bbc.co.uk) This may result in the substitution effect as people spend more time working and less time on leisure activities. How this will impact on the circular flow of income in the long run is uncertain as it is unpredictable whether the money will continue to circulate or the French will be inspired to save. Sarkozy’s recently executed policy to reduce the power of labour by passing a law restricting strikes is also similar to Thatcher’s policies which included weakening the influence of unions, resulting in them losing political pressure. (Sloman 2005) France currently has one of the lowest levels of trade union membership in Europe at only 9% compared with Germany’s 27%, UK’s 29% and Italy’s 30%, yet it has

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