Too much leisure
The week's news at a glance.
Paris
The French are going to have to rethink the 35-hour workweek, the government said this week. The shorter hours, mandated by a Socialist government four years ago, were intended to reduce unemployment by forcing firms to hire more workers. But the hiring hasn’t happened, said the center-right government of current Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin. Instead, the 35-hour week has handcuffed companies and strangled France’s economic growth. Still, the government has no intention of telling the French to go back to working a full 40 hours. Budget Minister Alain Lambert said he merely wanted to change the law so that employers and unions had the option to negotiate contracts that included extra hours.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Tom Phillips: the manhunt for forest fugitive and his abducted children
In the Spotlight Three children recovered safely after four-year manhunt ends in police shootout
-
Codeword: September 9, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Sudoku medium: September 9, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle