French: The Most Productive People In The World

[Gusar]

http://www.businessinsider.com/are-the-french-the-most-productive-people-in-the-world-2009-8





French: The Most Productive People In The World




A new survey from UBS has shown that the French continue to work the least amount of hours per year in the world. Once again, the French have blown away the competition. People work an average of 1,902 hours per year in the surveyed cities but they work much longer in Asian and Middle Eastern cities... People in Lyon and Paris, by contrast, spend the least amount of time at work according to the global comparison: 1,582 and 1,594 hours per year respectively.
Upon seeing this data, some might criticize the French for being lazy, but that misses the point completely. The real message here is that the French are likely some of the most productive people in the entire world.
[But check out the countries with the most workaholics here>>>]

Think about it. Nationmaster ranks France as #18 in terms of GDP per capita, at $36,500 per person, yet France works much less than most developed nations. They achieve their high standard of living while working 16% less hours than the average world citizen, and almost 25% than their Asian peers as per UBS. Plus, if you visit France you'll also realize that their actual standard of living is probably much higher than GDP numbers would indicate.
Thus, if one were to divide France's GDP per capita by actual hours worked, you'd probably find that the French are achieving some of the highest returns on work-hours invested. Labor Alpha, if you will.
We can actually calculate this Labor Alpha using statistics from Nation Master.
France has $36,500 GDP/Capita and works 1,453 hours per year. This equates to a GDP/Capita/Hour of $25.10. Americans, on the other hand, have $44,150 GDP/Capita but work 1,792 hours per year. Thus Americans only achieve $24.60 of GDP/Capita/Hour.
This puts the French Labor Alpha at about $0.50 GDP/Capita/Hour over the US. It may sound small at first, but add that up across millions of people, and a few decades. Now you've built a lesson for the rest of the world to learn.
Winning is not about working hard. It's about working smart... and less. As the French know well.
Additional reporting by Kamelia Angelova.

[Gusar]

French lifestyle def appeals to me. I think they know how to enjoy them selves and they aren't afraid of a balanced lifestyle.

[ultralars]

Without having any knowledge on the subject, i am willing to say that the reason the produce more GDP while working less, is not at all because they get more stuff done, it's because what they create can be priced high without really being worth it. Like fashion cloth, shoes and watches.

[spongetaro]

Without having any knowledge on the subject, i am willing to say that the reason the produce more GDP while working less, is not at all because they get more stuff done, it's because what they create can be priced high without really being worth it. Like fashion cloth, shoes and watches.

Most French people work in the service industry, not manufacturing

[Maciamo]

Thank you UBS for endorsing/reposting what I pointed out 5 years ago, and which visibly hasn't changed. France, Belgium and Luxembourg are the most productive countries in the world, well ahead of any other country.

[Maciamo]

Most French people work in the service industry, not manufacturing

That's not what ultralas was saying. He was wondering if the French could afford to work less because they created more added value (in other words, selling fashion items or food products for a much higher price than what it really costs to make them). I think it is part of the explanation as to why France is more productive. It doesn't cost more to produce a bottle of Château Petrus than an ordinary wine, but it will sell perhaps 100 times more. The luxury industry is very profitable. It's only a small part of the French economy, but it certainly has a positive influence on productivity.

[Reinaert]

Huh?

Try to explain this then..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._GDP_(nominal))

3 Japan - 4 Germany - 5 France.

Statistics are a higher form of telling lies.

[Maciamo]

Huh?

Try to explain this then..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._GDP_(nominal))

3 Japan - 4 Germany - 5 France.

Statistics are a higher form of telling lies.

Why are you posting about country GDP in this thread ? What's your point ?

[ultralars]

Huh?

Try to explain this then..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._GDP_(nominal))

3 Japan - 4 Germany - 5 France.

Statistics are a higher form of telling lies.

That is not what's being discussed here. This thread points out that per worker + per hour worked the people in France will create more value than people in other countries. Which due to their population doesn't necessarily mean that they will out produce more populous countries like Japan and Germany.

[Maciamo]

That is not what's being discussed here. This thread points out that per worker + per hour worked the people in France will create more value than people in other countries. Which due to their population doesn't necessarily mean that they will out produce more populous countries like Japan and Germany.

Reinaert is not a child. I hope for him he knows the difference between GDP, GDP per capita, and GDP per capita per hour, and what it means to calculate the GDP per capita per hour in relation to the actual working population of a country (i.e. active population minus the unemployed, students, disabled, pre-retired or people who don't need or want to work). Any non-retarded adult should know that. That is why I am wondering why was the point of this post, unless he doesn't fit the category of people who should know this stuff.

[Reinaert]

Well, I studied statistics, and what Maciamo says is just what what most non-retarded adults don't know!

The first mistake you can make in statistics is to suggest something..
And that's wrong enough.

Maciamo studied economics, and that isn't an exact form of science.
If you ask 1000 different economists, they have a 1000 different opinions about how to see the world.

My critics on what he says, is that he is using a single view on economics.
Well, show me all the data then..

GDP, GDP per capita, and GDP per capita per hour, and what it means to calculate the GDP per capita per hour in relation to the actual working population of a country

That surely will given an other impression of what we are talking about.

I know from my own perspective that The Netherlands had a very high efficiency in their industries.
But because of politics, a lot of jobs have been "Americanized". More people work part-time, and less motivated.
That fact is disturbing the outcome for The Netherlands.

Ok, in France people are more vigilant against their employer. And that pays in the statistics.

But that isn't so in Belgium and Luxembourg.
I know in some factories workers even have to pee in an urinary on the work floor!

[Neustria]

Without having any knowledge on the subject, i am willing to say that the reason the produce more GDP while working less, is not at all because they get more stuff done, it's because what they create can be priced high without really being worth it. Like fashion cloth, shoes and watches.

For your information, France doesn't manufacture any cloths, shoes or watches...

[Maciamo]

For your information, France doesn't manufacture any cloths, shoes or watches...

I think you meant French people. French companies obviously do, even if the production is outsourced to developing countries. Anyway you are wrong, as there are still a few small factories that make these products in France by French people. You cannot get the label "Made in France" if it's not actually made in the country.

[Reinaert]

You cannot get the label "Made in France" if it's not actually made in the country.

Haha.. The text: "Made in ....." hasn't any meaning.

International trade has a lot of absurd rules and regulations.

Step 1: Buy goods from China.
Step 2: Add something.
Step 3: Put a sticker on it with whatever text. For instance: "Made in Holland"