Labor shortage, second priority after purchasing power

"There is nothing more revolting or nothing more + Schadockian +, choose the appropriate word, than to still have so much unemployment, because we are not at full employment, and so many companies that are looking for employees," said the minister at the Economic Meetings held in the Provençal city.

"So we must deal with this problem as an absolute priority at the start of the school year. The shortage of labor is the urgent problem to be dealt with in the coming weeks", hammered Bruno Le Maire.

He felt that "this is the second emergency" for the government. "It comes just after purchasing power", a subject on which a bill was presented last week in the Council of Ministers.

A reform tightening the conditions for accessing and maintaining unemployment insurance benefits came into force last fall, but the decree which reformed it is only valid until October 31.

This decree caps the number of days not worked taken into account in the calculation of the daily reference wage (SJR), the basis of unemployment benefit, so that job seekers alternating periods of work and inactivity are less penalized.

The Minister of the Economy has also made a gesture of openness towards the LR deputies whom he may need for the adoption of the project on purchasing power, the majority of the presidential camp being only relative to the 'Assembly.

"We are going to increase the activity bonus, we are going to exempt overtime hours from tax and I say to all the friends on the right that we can meet on the valuation of work, on the exemption of overtime, on the possibility of better combining employment and pensions: I reach out to them," said Bruno Le Maire.