[tokenadult]

Contacting former employers or talking about your former employees to a prospective employer is illegal in France.

The law is different here in the United States, of course, and in most countries. I wonder how much of the slow economic growth and high unemployment in France is connected to this information-denying and thus efficiency-frustrating law?

[Bartweiss]

I'm skeptical that it makes a huge difference. After all, US employers are pretty cautious about giving real information when contacted - the questions may be legal, but you can still get sued over the answers. Most of the "real" information in either setting flows informally.

It can't help, but it's hard to imagine that's anywhere near the top of France's legislative issues.

[pyrale]

You realize that these same laws were in place when economic condition were different, right ?

On a more general note, I would to reconsider your appreciation about France, and in general, about countries which work differently from yours. Unemployment in France is a huge social impediment, but I don't believe it has nearly as much effects on the economy as you think it has.

One of the reasons for it is that jobless people are low-productivity, low-qualification which, if employed, would not contribute significantly to our economy. Also by increasing work price, pressure is created on companies to improve work efficiency. I wouldn't say there is a strong connection, but UK's productivity puzzle has been conjectured to be linked with zero-hour jobs.

[nraynaud]

I don't think it plays a role it would more be a level playing field if they were not using schools and diplomas as a signal for employment.

A lot of people agree that our main problem is that our managers are shit while our engineers are ok.