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Le marché du travail en France : quelques pistes d'analyse

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  • Denis Fougère
  • Francis Kramarz

Abstract

[fre] Le marché du travail en France : quelques pistes d'analyse . Au cours des années quatre-vingt, les ajustements sur les marchés du travail français et américain ont été très contrastés. En France, comme en Europe, les salaires horaires réels moyens se sont, au minimum, maintenus et les écarts salariaux sont restés stables ; aux États-Unis, les premiers ont chuté et les seconds se sont creusés. A contrario, l'emploi, très dynamique outre-atlantique s'est montré atone sur le vieux continent où le chômage a massivement augmenté. . Pour certains auteurs, cette atonie serait due à la rigidité des mécanismes de fixation du salaire, liée à des facteurs institutionnels tels que salaires minima et allocations chômage généralisées. Les effets de cette rigidité française ne ressortent pas : nombre de travaux montrent que le volume de l'emploi réagit assez peu aux variations de salaire. En revanche, ils se manifestent dans les mécanismes de sélection des travailleurs ainsi que dans le recours croissant aux contrats à durée déterminée. . Il faut donc chercher ailleurs l'origine de la quasi-stagnation du volume de l'emploi en France. Les comportements des grandes entreprises semblent constituer une piste d'analyse prometteuse : malgré des variations plus importantes, les grandes firmes américaines ont globalement stabilisé leurs effectifs pendant les années quatre-vingt, alors que leurs homologues françaises contribuaient massivement aux suppressions d'emploi. [eng] The Labour Market in France: Suggestions for Analysis. Developments on the French and American labour markets in the 1980s were highly divergent. In France, as in the rest of Europe, average real hourly wages at least held steady and wage differentials remained stable. In the United States, average real hourly wages fell and differentials widened. Employment, however, was extremely upbeat in the States while Europe's unemployment rate soared. . Some authors posit that the depressed labour market was due to the rigidity of wage-setting mechanisms associated with institutional factors such as minimum wages and guaranteed unemployment benefit for all. Yet many studies reject this assumption of the effects of French rigidity by finding that the employment rate shows little reaction to wage changes. However, these effects can be seen in employee selection mechanisms and the rise in short- term contracts. . Therefore, the reason for the virtual stagnation in the employment rate in France needs to be sought elsewhere. The behaviour of large corporations looks to be a promising path for analysis. Despite sharper fluctuations, large American corporations on the whole managed to keep their staff levels stable during the 1980s, while their French counterparts axed a huge number of jobs. [spa] El mercado de trabajo en Francia : algunas pistas de analisis . En el transcurso de los ochenta, los ajustes de los merca- dos de trabajo francés y americano presentaron fuertes contrastes. En Francia, como en Europa, los salarios por hora reaies medios se mantuvieron, a lo menos, y las di- ferencias salariales permanecieron estables. En los Estados Unidos, aquéllos se hundieron y estas se ampliaron. Por lo contrario, el empleo, muy dinâmico en America, résulté atono en el viejo continente donde el paro aumento masivamente. . Para ciertos autores, esta atonîa se deberia a la rigidez de los mecanismos de fijaciôn del salario, relacionada con factores institucionales, como los salarios mfnimos y los subsidios de paro generalizados. Los efectos de esta dez francesa no aparecen : numerosos estudios senalan que el volumen del empleo se mueve poco en funciôn de las variaciones de salario. En cambio, se evidencian en los mecanismos de selecciôn de los trabajadores asî como en el recurso creciente a los contratos temporales. . Hay que buscar entonces por otra parte el origen del casi estancamiento del volumen del empleo en Francia. Los comportamientos de las grandes empresas parecen consti- tuir una pista de analisis prometedora : a pesar de las variaciones mâs importantes, las grandes firmas americanas han estabilizado globalmente sus plantillas durante la déca- da de los ochenta, cuando sus homôlogos f ranceses contribufan masivamente a las supresiones de empleo. [ger] Der Arbeitsmarkt in Frankreich: einige Analyseansâtze . In den achtziger Jahren nahmen die Anpassungen auf dem franzôsischen und auf dem amerikanischen Arbeitsmarkt eine gegenlàufige Entwicklung. Die durchschnit- tlichen realen Stundenlôhne konnten in Frankreich wie auch in ganz Europa zumindest aufrechterhalten werden, und die Lohnunterschiede blieben stabil. In den Vereinigten Staaten sanken erstere erheblich, wâhrend letztere zunahmen. Die Beschàftigung, die jenseits des Atlantiks ùberaus dynamisch war, stagnierte dagegen in Europa, wo die Arbeitslosigkeit einen massiven Anstieg verzeich- nete. . Einigen Autoren zufolge ist dièse Stagnation auf die Star- rheit der Lohnfestsetzungsmechanismen zurûckzufùhren, wozu noch institutionelle Faktoren wie die Mindestlôhne und die allgemeine Arbeitslosenhilfe hinzukommen. Die . Auswirkungen einer solchen Starrheit lassen sich in Frankreich allerdings nicht nachweisen. Denn aus zahlreichen Arbeiten geht hervor, daB die Lohnschwan- kungen nur einen geringen EinfluB auf die Beschâfti- gungslage haben. Dagegen finden sie ihren Niederschlag in den Mechanismen der Arbeitnehmerauswahl sowie im vermehrten AbschluB befristeter Arbeitsvertrâge. . Infolgedessen ist der Grund fur die Quasistagnation der Beschàftigung in Frankreich woanders zu suchen. Hierbei scheint das Verhalten der groBen Untemehmen einen vielversprechenden Analyseansatz darzustellen. Trotz grôBerer Schwankungen haben die groBen Untemehmen in Amerika in den achtziger Jahren ihre Beschàftigtenzahl allgemein stabilisiert, wàhrend sie in Frankreich massiv Stellen abbauten.

Suggested Citation

  • Denis Fougère & Francis Kramarz, 1997. "Le marché du travail en France : quelques pistes d'analyse," Économie et Statistique, Programme National Persée, vol. 301(1), pages 51-60.
  • Handle: RePEc:prs:ecstat:estat_0336-1454_1997_num_301_1_2532
    DOI: 10.3406/estat.1997.2532
    Note: DOI:10.3406/estat.1997.2532
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. John M. Abowd & Patrick Corbel & Francis Kramarz, 1999. "The Entry And Exit Of Workers And The Growth Of Employment: An Analysis Of French Establishments," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 81(2), pages 170-187, May.
    2. Liliane Bonnal & Denis Fougère & Anne Serandon, 1995. "Une modélisation du processus de recherche d'emploi en présence de mesures publiques pour les jeunes," Revue Économique, Programme National Persée, vol. 46(3), pages 537-547.
    3. Françis Kramarz & Françis Kramarz & Louis-Paul Pelé, 1996. "Wage Inequalities and Firm-Specific Compensation policies in France," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 41-42, pages 369-386.
    4. Chinhui Juhn, 1992. "Decline of Male Labor Market Participation: The Role of Declining Market Opportunities," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 107(1), pages 79-121.
    5. David Card & Francis Kramarz & Thomas Lemieux, 1999. "Changes in the Relative Structure of Wages and Employment: A Comparison of the United States, Canada, and France," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 32(4), pages 843-877, August.
    6. repec:adr:anecst:y:1996:i:41-42:p:15 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Olivier Jean Blanchard & Peter Diamond, 1994. "Ranking, Unemployment Duration, and Wages," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 61(3), pages 417-434.
    8. Denis Fougère & Thierry Kamionka, 1992. "Un modéle markovien du marché du travail," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 27, pages 149-188.
    9. Baily, Martin Neil & Bartelsman, Eric J & Haltiwanger, John, 1996. "Downsizing and Productivity Growth: Myth or Reality?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 8(4), pages 259-278, August.
    10. Entorf, Horst & Kramarz, Francis, 1997. "Does unmeasured ability explain the higher wages of new technology workers?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(8), pages 1489-1509, August.
    11. Eli Berman & John Bound & Zvi Griliches, 1994. "Changes in the Demand for Skilled Labor within U. S. Manufacturing: Evidence from the Annual Survey of Manufactures," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 109(2), pages 367-397.
    12. repec:adr:anecst:y:1992:i:27:p:06 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Liliane Bonnal & Denis Fougère, 1990. "Les déterminants individuels de la durée du chômage," Économie et Prévision, Programme National Persée, vol. 96(5), pages 45-82.
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    1. David Spector, 2001. "Emploi : une analyse critique des politiques malthusiennes," Economie & Prévision, La Documentation Française, vol. 0(4), pages 13-31.
    2. Philippe Méhaut & Aurélie Peyrin & Camille Signoretto & Liza Baghioni & Nathalie Louit-Martinod, 2021. "Employeurs et salariés au coeur de l’usage croissant des contrats courts Une enquête dans trois secteurs sur trois territoires en région Provence-Alpes-Côte d’azur," Working Papers halshs-03220188, HAL.

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