[mousquet]

I think they're scared mainly because of a lack of social mobility here. Everyone has been more or less stuck in their social class and conditions, which is depressing.
It's not so much a problem of productivity (see related data, the Fr workforce is pretty productive too), we're only missing opportunities due to a lack of flexibility. People want to be over-protected here, which essentially comes from a feeling of distrust widespread over society.

It's always much better to keep people at work, so as far as I go and generally speaking, I agree on the principle in effect over Germany these days, if and only if there's actual and effective upward social mobility over there. Working is great, just as long as you have hope to eventually improve your social situation as a reward.

I'm still feeling sorry for the 60-yo staged in their report, though. That's the disturbing thing in there. The "work-or-die" system is too rough by that age.