Bearish on Baguettes

The French are in big trouble. The cost of the ubiquitious baguette, a staple food on the French table, is spiralling out of control. Strikes by the breadmakers is not out of the question. There is no free lunch.

The cause of this situation? The insane work rules that limit employees to work 35 hours, coupled with the fact that hiring and firing workers is so byzantine that employers are reluctant to hire new workers at all. These inflate the costs of making the baguettes (and most other products).

This, in turn, spurs higher unemployment and stifles the economy.

We've seen some of the effects of this economic policy in the ongoing riots throughout France. High unemployment among immigrant workers is partially to blame on the work rules that the French continue to utilize. Discrimination is another component, along with the refusal of North African Muslim immigrants to assimilate.

Chirac and the French government have paid lip service to changing the rules, and the unions have demonstrated against those changes, even though they're losing in the global marketplace due to higher costs and less efficient production.

Rioting and carbeques are a common sight in the French banlieus, and the situation is not going to get any better unless the government starts considering more drastic changes to its employment law.