Labour Productivity Puzzle in France since the Covid-19 Pandemic

Webinar von Alain Durré, Französischer Produktivitätsrat

June 5, 2025, 3-4 p.m.
Join by using the following link: https://oenb.webex.com/oenb/j.php?MTID=mecc176ecad3893de2e5b74fad0c83f15

Abstract: Beyond factors common to all euro area countries; the analysis explores potential factors specific to France that may explain the additional slowdown in labour productivity per employee in market sectors (excluding agriculture), relative to its pre-Covid trend (2010–2019). Drawing on recent empirical literature, this section introduces three key innovations: (a) it provides an updated and more precise methodology compared with previous studies, incorporating recent national accounts data; (b) it examines the sensitivity of the findings to certain underlying assumptions; and (c) it investigates the causes of the productivity slowdown at the sector level.

Drawing on new data from the French national accounts (base year 2020 ), we analyse changes in apparent labour productivity per capita across sectors between the fourth quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2024 . In order to assess accurately the contribution of each sector to overall productivity in the economy, these variations are analysed according to each sector’s relative size. A special role from recent labour market reforms – in favour of more apprenticeships and labour market participation – is particularly discussed at the global et sectoral levels.

Download presentation

Year of publication: 2025