Economy

‘Don’t let recent protests in France detract from the positives’

While recent protests have highlighted the challenges France faces, there are also reasons to be optimistic, says columnist Richard Ogier

Inflation in France should fall from June, says Banque de France

Food prices will remain high until then, it is predicted, but a recession can be ruled out for 2023

Inflation, interest rates, energy: is France winning on the economy?

Partner article: Christopher Davenport of Kentingtons looks at how France is managing its economy compared to other European countries

France confirms €1,000 grant for second-hand electric cars

The new grant is available to all, has no conditions attached and is for use with second-hand cars - in contrast to previous grants.

Covid-19 France: More cities on ‘max alert’ amid new rules

Health Minister Olivier Véran and Economy Minister Bruno le Maire confirmed stricter rules for more cities, extended aid for stricken businesses, and issued a warning before the Toussaint holidays.

France factory planning permission eased for investors

A list of 74 places where simplified procedures will allow investors to have “key in hand” factory sites, ready to build in nine months, has been published by the government.

SNCF staff announce strike across France amid 20-hour delay

SNCF staff are to strike across France on Thursday, September 17 - amid delays of up to 20 hours on TGV services last night.

France announces €100billion plan to relaunch economy

French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced the economic relaunch plan to counteract the economic effect of the Covid-19 crisis, with the objective of creating 160,000 jobs in 2021.

France firms urged to use lunch vouchers to save restaurants

They are called tickets restaurants, titres-restaurants, chèques déjeuner or chèques pass restaurant – you may know them as luncheon vouchers. Why are users being urged to spend more with them?

Traditional French banks under pressure as customers switch

An increasing number of people in France are changing banks - including many to new "digital banks" - with the quality of customer service and high fees cited as major factors in the decision to switch.

Paracetamol to be made in France post Covid-19

Following the Covid-19 crisis, France plans to produce more medicines nationally, starting with paracetamol, which French consumers stockpiled at the beginning of lockdown.

Safety rules proposed as France to reopen hair salons

As it is confirmed that most hairdressers, barbers and beauty salons will be allowed to reopen in France after confinement is lifted on May 11, a list of new rules has been proposed to keep staff and customers safe.

French gîte owners fear what Covid-19 future holds

Facemasks take priority over perfume and umbrellas

French economy hit by deepest fall since 1945

France must ‘work twice as hard’ after confinement

France will “have to work twice as hard” after confinement to jumpstart the economy from a crisis worse than that “seen even in wartime”, business federation the Medef and the French junior economy minister have said.

France’s jobless level at new low

But 7% target is tough

Covid-19: France in ‘new epidemic stage’ says minister

France is in “a new stage of the epidemic” of coronavirus Covid-19, the health minister has said, as a total of 100 cases have been confirmed since the end of January.

Help show vital role of Britons to south west France?

An economics lecturer wants to gauge readers’ support to continue his research on Britons’ importance to the south west’s economy.

French products could face 100% import tax to US

French products including cheese, yoghurts, sparkling wine, cosmetics and accessories could have additional import taxes of up to 100% imposed on them by the United States, it has been suggested.

Farmers from across France blockade roads in protest

Farmers across France have come together in tractors to block roads into Paris and other major cities to protest against poor economic and social conditions in the farming community.

Provence sends French rosé to Trump after tax threat

The French region of Provence has sent crates of local rosé wine to American President Donald Trump, after the latter threatened to increase import taxes on French wine to the USA.

Hackers alter more than 2,000 French tax returns

The tax returns of more than 2,000 people in France may have been altered by hackers, for reasons that remain unclear, it has been confirmed.

France in top five for foreign investment

France has become more appealing for foreign investors and has reached the top five of an influential global index of attractiveness for the first time.

More jobs created in France in first months of 2019

Job creation accelerated in the first quarter of 2019 with 93,800 new jobs, mostly in industry and construction, state statistics agency Insee reports.

Tax cuts and green pledges for government’s Act 2

Tax cuts for 12 million families, pension reform and urgent action on the environment were among key promises by the prime minister as he launched the second half of the Macron presidency.

Millions of jobs in France but workers ‘lack skills’

Recruitment in France is predicted to rise sharply this year, with more than 2.5million new jobs created.

Asian visitors boost French tourism

A surge in visitors from Asia helped France retain its crown as the most-visited country in the world in 2018, new figures show.

France now more attractive to foreign money than China

France is now more attractive than China for foreign investment, according to an annual classification of the top five most attractive investment countries worldwide.

France to remove one bank holiday to fund elderly care

The French government is expected to announce the removal of one public holiday a year - with no extra pay for workers - as a means to finance increased support for older people.

French state ‘secu’ deficit falls

France has made progress in balancing the books of its social security system.

France introduces extra tax on digital giants

France is to impose an extra tax on digital giants such as Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon from this year, in part to finance the social measures announced in response to the gilets jaunes protests.

New-(ish) owner takes over France's La Poste

The jolly yellow vans and bicycles which fan out across France each day will not change but La Poste will have a new owner next year.

Calculating the hidden cost of Brexit

Dr Tim Blakemore , a former senior law lecturer at the University of Northampton who now lives in France, argues that the UK will end up paying far more than the £39billion 'divorce bill' to leave the EU

Macron announces France’s new €8bn ‘poverty plan’

President Emmanuel Macron’s anti-“poverty plan” is set to be announced today (Thursday September 13), and expected to include measures such as breakfast at school, and mandatory education up to 18.

Leading firms fined for paying bills late

Leading public and private companies have been named and shamed for late payment of bills to suppliers and fined a total of €6.9million as the government moves to protect small PME businesses.

Mythbuster: France trailing European financial markets

Fact or Fake? In this regular column, we look at the ‘truths’ that everyone ‘knows’ about France

Funding for small French airports queried

A think tank set up by the prime minister to look at ways to make savings has advised reducing state funding to regional airports – a measure which opponents say could put at risk many small airports.

SNCF signs ‘biggest ever TGV order in France’ for €3bn

Train company SNCF has ordered 100 new and modern TGV trains from French manufacturer Alstom, to the value of three billion euros, in what has been called the “biggest order of TGVs ever in France”.

India overtakes France

India has overtaken France to be the world’s sixth-largest economy and the World Bank says it is likely to also overtake the UK.

Cash still popular in France despite other pay options

French people are still very likely to use cash to pay for goods, despite the increase in online shopping and the continued development of other, more high-tech forms of payment.

Deficit drops below 3% for first time since 2007

Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire welcomes figures and says they prove President Emmanuel Macron's policies are working

Job creation back at 2007 levels

Employers in France advertised more than 250,000 new jobs in 2017 - the highest level for a decade

€5bn to help economy in small towns

New government plan aims to fund housing developments and create new jobs

India to overtake France economically in 2018

France is to join the UK in being overtaken on the global economic stage by India in 2018.

How the Rugby World Cup 2023 could benefit France

The economic impact of France’s successful Rugby World Cup 2023 bid has been scrutinised today, and generally expected to be positive.