Elyse Melling, Introduction, Question 6

      I found the passage about the French government in 2000 to be particularly interesting. In order to create jobs for the unemployed, the French government lowered the standard workweek from 39 hours to 35 hours. This policy was based on the idea that there are a limited number of jobs within an economy, and that more jobs cannot be created. This policy is proven false when looking at the American economy which has created millions of jobs over the years without dividing work hours, as the French did. In 2008, the French government came up with a solution to the problem- allow companies to negotiate their own work hours and do away with the 35 hour rule. I find this passage interesting because, as we talked about in class, one of the main ideas of economics is to diagnose a problem and produce a solution. This passage was a prime example of this idea.