France working hours gap with Germany could boost GDP by 107 billion euros

A study by the think tank Fondapol indicates that French full-time employees work an average of 121 hours less per year than their German counterparts. This gap, which represents more than three weeks of work, varies by sector: it is 159 hours in the public sector, 109 hours in commercial services, and 79 hours in industry.

Economist Bertrand Martinot suggests that aligning French working hours with the German model could generate a long-term GDP increase of up to 107 billion euros, representing a 3.6% rise. In the short term, the gain is estimated at 81 billion euros. Such an alignment could also improve the public balance by 29.4 billion euros.

Simultaneously, France faces challenges regarding automation. A Coface study estimates that 5 million jobs in France could be automated within the next three to four years. In response, the government has launched the ‘Impulsion IA 2027’ plan with an 80 million euro budget to adapt the labor market to artificial intelligence.