France: thousands demonstrate against a new flexible job contract for youngsters

Around 300.000 people –mostly young- took to the streets in France on February 7th to protest against a draft law creating a very flexible job contract for people under 26 years old. The so-called "first-job contract" has been submitted to Parliament. The government wants to lower the youngsters' unemployment rate (currently 23%) by putting less constraints on employers. (Ref. 06114)
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Trade unions had expected more people would demonstrate. Officials and trade unions disagree on the numbers: 400 000 demonstrators according to trade
unions, 220 000 says the police. The real number is probably in between. The debate over the “first-job contract” is getting noisier each day, and recent polls show a clear majority of the French oppose this new measure.

The “first-job contract” will allow companies to hire an employee -26 or younger- under the usual “permanent contract”, but with

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