http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/world/europe/22iht-france.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&sq=unemployment%20rates&st=cse&scp=2
France's youth unemployment rates over 20% they are protesting to not raise the retirment age so that the youth can start being employed sooner.
interesting quote:
"More than 100,000 students leave high school every year without a diploma in France. And at over 20 percent, France has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Europe, owing to high minimum wages and rigid labor rules that benefit those already in a job but often make it hard for graduates to find work. "
aria,
ReplyDeletethanks very much for posting this. I have been following this story, too, with a great deal of interest. At first, I thought, "oh, those silly french people. boo, hoo, they have to retire when they are 61 instead of 60." Since I personally can't imagine every voluntarily retiring, I had a hard time mustering any sympathy for the protesters. And, clearly, they seem to be having slightly too much fun pretending to be revolutionaries to take them that seriously. But, this is a real problem without any obvious answer: people are living healthier, longer. If they don't retire, than the next generation cannot rise up to take their place in the job market, and they will become a lost generation. the problem will get worse; we are already seeing protests against austerity measures in greece, UK, and now France.
This is an illustration of your hypothesis, and you are smart to be paying attention.