On 18 January, France’s president unveiled a series of measures to leaders of both the unions and employer’ bodies aimed at stopping the country’s unemployment from accelerating. The measures include €2,000 in financial aid per year to help SMEs hire new employees, ways to boost the number of apprenticeships, additional training for some 500,000 jobless, more flexible working times, and ways to support individual entrepreneurs. The goal is to reverse the trend in unemployment before his five-year presidential term comes to an end. The total cost of these measures will amount to €2billion with the funds expected to be financed through cost savings.
Above all the government is looking to support employment in the SMEs and this is a priority in President’s plan. It was the main announcement in a speech given to actors in business and employment at the Economic Social and Environmental Council (Cese) on 18 January 2016. President François Hollande unveiled an annual €2,000 boost for SMEs in return for hiring an employee on a permanent indefinite contract or on a fixed contract of more than six months and paid up to 1.3 times the basic minimum wage level (SMIC).
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