Senators begin Wednesday examining the text of the social VAT, which transfers 13 billion in employer contributions on VAT and the CSG. This step should be quick: the left majority, should adopt a "previous question", which is to reject the bill Payday advance. The study published Wednesday that INSEE has yet to feed much debate about the causes of lack of competitiveness of French industry …

]]> http://russellwbaldwin.com/labor-costs-the-advantage-of-germany-confirmed/feed/ 0 http://russellwbaldwin.com/small-employers-hiring-freeze/ http://russellwbaldwin.com/small-employers-hiring-freeze/#comments Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:56:25 +0000 admin http://russellwbaldwin.com/small-employers-hiring-freeze/  

Small businesses with fewer than 20 employees (TPE) through a difficult period. "They are in survival mode. They no longer have the slow growth of France, said Jean-Marc Jaumouillé, director of professional techniques in Fiducial. They suffered more in 2011 than in 2008 and 2009. They did not contribute to wealth creation in the second half of last year. Only 20% showed an increase in their revenues above inflation. "

According to the 45th quarterly barometer of TPE made by Ifop for Fiducial, small employers have not created jobs last year. 82% have stabilized their numbers. 10% have cut jobs. They are only 7% have increased their staff. "This is one of the worst year for employment since 2002," says Jean-Marc Jaumouillé.

Small employers monitor carefully the evolution of the payroll. They were limited to 1.7% wage increases for their employees last year. However, the situation varies across sectors. A company has upgraded four of less than 1% wages. 18% gave an increase of more than 4%. They are all to have frozen wages.

Assuming a stabilization of their sales in the first quarter, small businesses are cautious for 2012. The average wage increases should be limited to 1.2%. But 42% of small employers that will provide zero or less than 1%. "One good sign. For the first time since 2008, a perceived tightening of access to credit has fallen to 15% while it was never dropped below 20% since 2008, "says Jean-Marc Jaumouillé.

Employees overtime takers

While the debate on working time is one of the key topics of the presidential campaign, half of the patrons of TPE (49%) practice a working week not exceeding 35 hours, against 44% in October 2007 . One in ten exceeds 39 hours, against 21% in October 2007. "The law Tepa introduced in August 2007 that would allow firms to relax the 35 hours has had limited impact. She did not call for air hoped, "says Jean-Marc Jaumouillé.

As in October 2007, 47% of businesses use regularly to overtime. TPE over eight in ten (82%) pay them according to the legal scale. One in three places recoveries. One in five exceptional bonuses.

For their part, employees are increasingly likely to want to work overtime. They are 55% to 26% against the wish five years ago.

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Sony, with its new portable video game console, the PlayStation Vita (Vita PS), released this week in the U.S. and Europe, plays big. The Tokyo group has difficulty in televisions and scalded online players last year due to piracy of bank cards. In addition, Sony should try to forget the limited success of the PSP. Its first handheld console was "to compete with the DS" Nintendo. Finally, in its different versions, it sold half of PSP than DS, with respectively 75 million and 155 million units.

To impose its PS Vita, Sony is betting on innovation in terms of hardware and business model. Faced with the rise of smartphones, the PS Vita has a large touch screen in an advanced display (OLED) and has, on the back, a touch pad used to play. It can connect to the Internet or network of Sony PlayStation Network via Wi-Fi or a 3G mobile operator.

Before subsidies, it is sold between 250 euros (WiFi only) and 300 euros. In stores, Micromania began presenting to potential clients the console.

In addition, the sales model evolves. The PS Vita will be offered by mobile operators. It will be well funded, in part, in exchange for a commitment of subscription for mobile data, such as those proposed for internet tablets. "We have signed a European agreement with Vodafone. In France, SFR will offer the console exclusive, "said Philippe Cardon, the CEO of the gaming division of Sony in France. SFR should have three to six months ahead of other operators, if Orange, Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile wanted to offer.

Console to a euro

This is the first to launch a portable game console, even if mobile operators, TV channels, pay TV, cable operators and Internet service providers have already offered or sold at prices minimal consoles in exchange for long-term subscription to their service. SFR offers the console and at 29 euros, which includes reimbursement of 100 euros. And its price drops to 1 euro provided a subscription to 37 euros per month, with 3 GB of data included. "The goal is to provide a console that will satisfy both players and allow them to? Socialize? other players who are around them, "said Philippe Cardon. He added that the console will have "at its output a fifty titles. A score can only be downloaded, of which 7 were developed at Sony. "

Download, games should cost about ten dollars less than those available in store. These titles should be richer "that games like Fifa for smartphones that cost 1-2 euros but have fewer features. The casual gaming (single games, Ed) smartphone and tablet is complementary to our business. It serves to broaden the gaming audience, "says the head of Sony. Nevertheless, despite a score of 0.5 million PS Vita sold in Japan in less than a month, some critics ensure it takes off more slowly than the PSP.

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Organic products seem immunized against the crisis. Last year, sales were nearly $ 4 billion euros, an increase of at least 10%, as estimated by the Bio Agency. A sacred performance. Over the same period, sales of consumer products (food and hygiene products) have indeed stagnated in volume, and increased by only 3% in value.

Despite prices 20% to 50% higher, organic products, which represent less than 2% of the food market, continue to attract consumers. However, they are less likely to try the bio. In 2011, 40% of French reported consuming at least once a month for organic products, when they were 43% in 2010 and 46% in 2009, according to a survey by the CSA institute. "In a crisis, the curiosity of consumers is less, recognizes Elizabeth Mercier, Director of the Agency Bio. But market growth in 2008, the year of crisis, was 25% and 19% by volume. " In contrast, 18% of those who consume at least one organic product a week they intend to increase their intake this year. "This allows us to expect a further growth of organic products in 2012," said Elisabeth Mercier.

More visibility on the shelf

"The potential of new consumer stays there, half the French having no problem purchasing power," said Didier Perreol, group president Ekibio (Priméal, Bisson, My life without gluten?), Which states that Organic consumers are mostly from the wealthier classes.

"The market continues to grow as a supply effect contributes mechanically to increased purchases," says Isabelle Senand, author of a study on the bio for Xerfi payday loans with no fax. This is the result of the number of openings specialized brands (Naturalia Biocoop, La Vie Claire?), Pioneer of organic and enlargement of the assortment in supermarkets and hypermarkets. Today, 10% of milk sales are conducted in organic section, over 15% of sales? Eggs but only 6% of sales of fruits and vegetables. Last year, innovations in the organic section have increased among the national brands, ham Fleury Michon Pom'Potes Materne to Mont Blanc.

"The distributors have established themselves in this market with their brands and national brands, explains Isabelle Senand. All signs now have their own organic brand, which is largely the democratization of the market. "

The price gap has in fact reduced in grocery, fruit and vegetables or dairy products. "In five years, our prices are down 15% due to higher volumes, which allowed us to increase productivity," says Daniel Tirat, CEO of two cows, the brand of organic yogurt from Danone, the second mark market.

In three years, the market for organic fresh dairy products has doubled to 100 million euros. "We are in a logical recruitment of consumers, two thirds of our buyers who have never eaten organic yogurt, adds Daniel Tirat, which will test next month at Monoprix sales of butter and cream The two cows. We need the bio is even more visible rays. "

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Nicolas Sarkozy has graced the hearings of 20 hours of Laurence Ferrari, Wednesday night. Médiamétrie, l10, 7 million viewers were glued to their screens to follow the live announcement of the candidacy of president in elections 2012. Enough to get the audience share of 36.5% to JT on this one sequence, and even boost the hearings on the latter as a whole peaked at 33% and 9.55 million viewers. Since the beginning of the year, the high mass of TF1 is on average 24% audience share and 6.625 million viewers.

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This is the response of tit for tat. While the voltage increases against a backdrop of anti-Israeli attacks attributed by some to Iran and rumors of Israeli strike, Tehran has threatened on Wednesday to suspend its oil exports to six European countries, including France and Greece, reported the Iranian channel Press TV in English cited by Reuters and AP. According to language channel Al-Alam arable, however, this threat would not be enforced "for now". The Director for Western Europe of Foreign Ministry of Iran, Hassan Tajik, has ensured that Tehran "would not do for now for humanitarian reasons and because of the cold."

Despite this vagueness, the oil market reaction was immediate. Brent crude was up $ 2 in minutes, from an already high over 118 dollars to 120 dollars, approaching the highs of early 2011 triggered by the Libyan war. According to state television, quoted by AFP, the Iranian authorities have summoned the ambassadors separately from six European countries (France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Netherlands) to serve them with a "drop" in sales. Reduction or suspension of exports, this confusion is not surprising Francis Perrin, the editor of Arab Oil and Gas, which diplomats called the Persian goldsmiths in the matter.

Embargo unprecedented EU

The foreign ministers of the European Union adopted on January 23 a series of new economic sanctions against Iran, suspected of developing nuclear weapons program. An embargo "progressive" on imports of Iranian oil has been decided. The bill provides that existing contracts can be implemented until July 1. A delay obtained at the request of the European countries most dependent on Iranian crude, beginning with Greece, which buys 30% of its oil to the regime of Mullah, followed by Italy (13%) and Spain (12% ). Twenty-Seven took weeks to agree on the sanction regime.

The progressive nature of the embargo would allow European countries to compensate for expected losses by supplies provided mainly by Saudi Arabia pledged to pump more crude. Even if Tehran is not guaranteed to sell its Asian customers in the oil that would be shunned by Europe, the Islamic regime wants to use short-term increases in financial income generated by each price rise. And perhaps divisions among its customers more or less vulnerable.

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The carbon tax on air transport, set up by the European Union, came to pollute the atmosphere of Singapore Airshow (in English) which opens Tuesday. The subject will also hover over the EU-China summit, which begins the same day in Beijing.

The chorus of critics like the anxiety continues to grow. Monday, the president of Airbus who pulled the alarm. "I am very concerned about the consequences of all this, said Thomas Enders curtain raiser of the Asian salon. What began as a solution for the environment has become a potential source of trade conflict, and this should be a concern for us all. "

The Chinese have already poses threats to their acquisitions of European aircraft, and if we wanted to wring their hands. Last year, delaying the finalization of an order for 10 A380s to Hong Kong Airlines was understood as a warning.

In a decision entered into force on 1 January, the EU wants to force all airlines operating from or to Europe to buy carbon credits to offset their CO2 emissions. Last week, China has banned its companies to participate in the EU ETS (Emission Trading Scheme). Beijing and spoke of "possible measures to protect Chinese companies," without elaborating.

The measure is almost unanimously against it: some forty countries including the United States, India, Russia and China have denounced it. They see a European decision "unilateral" and an attack on their sovereignty. Passage also in Singapore, the Minister of Transport, Thierry Mariani, acknowledges that "one encounters a profound misunderstanding when trying to explain this European measure. It's a real dialogue of the deaf. "He strives yet to defend the position of Europe," totally in the spirit of international agreements on climate, who can not remain mere signatures. "

The track tax exemptions

In the Asian city still, the head of the International Association of Airlines (IATA), Tony Tyler, also warned against a "political conflict escalation or a trade war" on this field. Europe has the merit of being a pioneer and want to make things happen, but "it must change its unilateral approach." He said the only reasonable and effective is the UN and its International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). For a "global solution", the Chairman's vows European companies.

But the EU does not want to drop our guard and remember that there is still a year of negotiations because companies will not pay the tax until the spring of 2013. A trail is proposed to exempt the airlines of countries that take equivalent measures of taxation. "In fact, what makes the threat of conflict into perspective, says a source, it is in fact no one here believes that this tax will be."

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After more than a year of tough negotiations, the five largest U.S. banks agreed to pay $ 26 billion to be forgiven for having wrongfully seized property from the hands of borrowers in arrears. Nearly two million households will benefit from this windfall.

The agreement negotiated with the authorities of almost all U.S. states is greeted by Barack Obama. Its impact on real estate market is still very ill, however modest. The transaction could be the final push which can benefit the disaster area by the presidential election next November.

With the compromise reached between the banks and state prosecutors, nearly one million households will see lower their monthly mortgage maturities. This advantage will be the result of refinancing their loan to more favorable rates or reduction in the amount of principal owed to the bank. In addition about 750,000 households whose homes have been entered between September 2008 and late 2011, will receive checks of about $ 2,000 over the next year. It is well to cover the damages in cases where the seizure was flawed form.

The complex negotiations leading to the agreement announced Thursday is committed in late 2010. The discovery at the time of illegal practices caused a scandal: too often banks, or their agents, lacked sufficient documentation to justify or authentic seizures, although otherwise the owners are unable to pay their deadlines credit for months.

Falling home prices

Since the beginning of 2007, four million houses and homes were seized in the United States. Furthermore, the continued fall in property prices since the summer of 2006 is now eleven million U.S. homes are "under water": that is to say that their outstanding mortgage exceeds the market value of their homes. Because home prices have plunged an average of more than a third, the heritage of Americans fell by 7 trillion dollars. The agreement announced Thursday, which means JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Ally Financial (formerly known as GMAC), will not radically change this situation which depresses household. The five institutions involved represent 55% of the mortgage market. Other banks may soon accept this pact which would increase the scope.

The compromise is rather good news for banks. Certainly they must meet each of 5 billion dollars in penalties. But the total cost of the agreement had already been provisioned. Other procedures are still ongoing. They focus the responsibility of banks in the distribution until 2008 bonds expected to be high quality, while they were in fact secured on real estate loans at high risk.

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The surprises could affect 100,000 to 200,000 homes. According to Le Parisien-Aujourd'hui en France, households may not be taxed so far include paying the income tax this year. The head is the second austerity plan announced by the government last November and froze the tax scale.

Previously, the tax brackets, which forms the basis for taxation, were reviewed annually to reflect inflation increases the cost of living. By freezing for at least two years tax brackets, all persons whose incomes rose in 2011 could potentially be affected by the reform if they are left with taxable income greater than 5963 euros, the threshold first tranche of 5.5%. For the government, the money will have to pay these homes will be relatively low because the IRS does not claim the tax payment when it is less than 61 euros. Le Parisien-Aujourd'hui en France underlines that the sudden imposition could have more serious consequences for households as much aid as those granted to the school canteen and transport are related to the absence of taxation. Some families might therefore lose those benefits.

Changing slice

Another mechanical effect of freezing the scale, other households may already taxed, them, cross the threshold of the top tax bracket and thus having to pay more. This extra tax is not yet visible on the view that taxpayers received early this year to pay the first third. The surprises will come in September, when paying the balance. According to calculations of national union unified tax (Snui) quoted by the newspaper, the increases will be spread from 1.17% for a wealthy couple with no children at 12.57% for a single. The government expects in any case additional EUR 1.7 billion of tax revenue for 2012 and double that for 2013.

Finally, the richer will also be affected, because the scale of the solidarity tax on wealth (ISF) has also been frozen. The government expects 44 million of additional wealth tax in 2012 and 88 million more in 2013.

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