“We have a 7% unemployment rate, wake up! “: Emmanuel Macron shakes up business leaders

Just over a month ago, during an Assembly debate around the “full employment law”, including in particular South Africa’s much-criticized reform, Labor Minister Olivier Dussop confirmed that the goal of achieving full employment by 2027 was “still achievable,” he said . However, raising the unemployment rate from 5% to 5% “has not yet been achieved,” the President of the Republic told hundreds of business leaders invited to the Elysee Palace on Tuesday morning.

The unemployment rate recorded a slight rise in the third quarter to 7.4% of the active population in France (excluding Mayotte), up from 7.2% in the second quarter, marking at best a pause in the decline and at worst a reversal of trend. curve in the wrong direction.

“Leader of the Rope”

In presenting a new program to support the growth of some small and medium-sized enterprises, Emmanuel Macron wanted to remove the shoulder straps from the bosses, praising his reform policies and the need to continue them. Referring to his controversial “first in line” metaphor and trickle-down economics, he lamented that he is “sometimes caricatured.” “I very sincerely believe that when we help volunteers succeed, if anything, by helping to lift them up, they will bring many others with them,” the president implored, demonstrating his “passion” still “untouched” by supporting entrepreneurship.

According to him, it was these reforms that “allowed us to move from an unemployment rate of just over 9% in 2017 to 7% this year.” “We see that we are on a plateau. It’s not won yet, we haven’t reached full employment,” he added, welcoming the decline, which came even though “many of our neighbors who were in much better shape were stagnant or even had situations that were getting worse.”

“Double down on major reforms”

“We still have a lot of unfilled jobs in many of your sectors, even though our unemployment rate is 7%. That means we haven’t achieved the goal,” he insisted, as some in the president’s camp push for new, potentially unpopular reforms to achieve full employment. “I am watching with concern the “surrounding discourse” that calls for “bringing back reforms, putting a pause,” added Emmanuel Macron. Moreover, no, in his words: “Wake up! I tell you completely sincerely, wake up! We have an unemployment rate of 7%,” “we are not there,” he insisted.

The head of state promised to “redouble efforts on major reforms” and “double the courage and energy on labor and employment issues,” “because reform requires courage.”

A helping hand for ETI and mid-market companies

In particular, he launched ETIcelles, a program aimed at increasing the number of medium-sized companies (ETIs) in France by removing “administrative obstacles” holding back the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). “All the time spent on administration is time you waste,” he said.

There are only 5,600 medium-sized companies in France, compared with about 10,000 in Germany. However, these companies, which employ between 250 and 4,999 employees or achieve a turnover of at least 50 million euros, are “an opportunity for the country and a real lever,” the president emphasized, since they create jobs anchored in the territories. and are often exported. 500 SMEs with high growth potential by 2027 will be offered personalized support and a single point of contact to remove administrative barriers to their growth. For this purpose, about 45 correspondents in the administration and government bodies were mobilized. “This is a small team that helps cope with the complexity of most structuring projects and saves time,” the president explained.

This tailored support, planned for a period of 12 to 18 months, has already benefited 50 SMEs in the pilot phase, leading to companies reporting a lack of awareness of government assistance, difficulties recruiting staff or difficulty accessing government procurement, among other challenges. . Fifty more people were selected. According to the Elysee Palace, the “reservoir” of high-potential SMEs is estimated at approximately 20,000.