The cost of labour since the economic crisis: contrasting trends in Europe

The cost of labour in the market sector is highly variable depending on the country of the former European Union of 15, as is its composition (gross wages and salaries or employer contributions and other charges). While France is among the countries where this cost is the highest, its growth since 2008 has been moderate, especially since the introduction of the CICE (tax credit for encouraging competitiveness and jobs) in 2013. Overall, since the economic crisis, differences in costs of labour between countries have tended to grow, whereas previously they had tended to narrow.