Labour force participation of women has increased substantially during the last decades, but women?'s wages are still on average lower than men?'s. Following the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition method (1973), numerous econometric studies show that part of the differential is determined by...

The French parental leave (allocation parental d?'éduction, APE) has a negative impact on mothers?' employment. Despite this, the government has extended it in 2004. Unskilled women are encouraged to withdrawn from the labour market. After this period some of them have no guarantee of finding a...

Health spending as a share of GDP stands in France at the average level of industrial economies and much below than in the US. Recently, spending has rapidly accelerated leading to a rise in public health insurance accounts deficits. This paper analyses the factors behind these changes: ageing...

This paper combines micro and macroeconomic approaches in analysing the determinants of long-term wage changes in France. Beginning with a descriptive analysis, our study draws attention to the inter and intra-generational wage differentials observed over the last fifty years. This is followed...

The enlargement of the European Union (EU) to ten new members on 1st May 2004 constitutes a major event from both a political, economic and social viewpoint. While it is the greatest in terms of population since the inception of the European construction, this enlargement also encompasses mostly...