Who Works The Least? The French, According To UBS Study

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First Posted: 08-19-09 02:38 PM   |   Updated: 08-20-09 09:29 AM

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New York Landscape
New York City ranks as the sixth most-expensive city, in a new study by UBS.

Oslo, Copenhagen, Zurich, Geneva and Tokyo are more expensive than New York, according to a new study released Wednesday by UBS.

The study analyzes wages, purchasing power and working hours using a singular currency.

The study compared cities' purchasing power using an 8G iPod Nano:


An average wage-earner in Zurich and New York can buy a nano from an Apple store after nine hours of work. At the other end of the spectrum, workers in Mumbai, need to work 20 nine-hour days - roughly the equivalent of one month's salary - to purchase an iPod nano.

Workers in Paris and Lyons, France work the least, according to the Study. CNBC sums it up:

On average, people in the cities surveyed worked 1,902 hours per year, but in Lyon and Paris they worked 1,582 and 1,594 hours respectively. In Cairo, they worked 2,373 hours, while in Seoul they worked 2,312 hours.


Other findings:

-Employees in Zurich and Geneva have the highest net wages in the world


-People in Cairo and Seoul work the longest - roughly 600 hours more per year than their peers in Western Europe


The top-10 most expensive cities, according to UBS are:
1. Oslo
2. Zurich
3. Copenhagen
4. Geneva
5. Tokyo
6. New York
7. Helsinki
8. Vienna
9. Paris
10. Dublin

Oslo, Copenhagen, Zurich, Geneva and Tokyo are more expensive than New York, according to a new study released Wednesday by UBS. The study analyzes wages, purchasing power and working hours using a...
Oslo, Copenhagen, Zurich, Geneva and Tokyo are more expensive than New York, according to a new study released Wednesday by UBS. The study analyzes wages, purchasing power and working hours using a...
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- Eric Roth I'm a Fan of Eric Roth 8 fans permalink
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Solid snapshot into our global economy.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:01 AM on 09/06/2009

Who else but the French has a month long sports event every year? Maybe they just know how to live a better quality life.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:19 PM on 08/21/2009
- Palemoon I'm a Fan of Palemoon 165 fans permalink
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No surprise at all in this study, Karl Marx is giving the big, swaggery thumbs up. First, it's no surprise that the French work the least, since they have the 35 hour work week. Second, the disparity between the haves and have nots, industrialized and non-industrialized, first world and third world nations has never been more apparent.

Third, the direct result of the fact that the more you make, the more you pay. Swiss get paid the most, but food costs them 45% more than in other parts of Europe. Why? Well, farmers and capitalists aren't dumb. They know the Swiss have the money, if they wanna eat, they gotta pay up.

Kinda like here where I live in Georgia. My small town of 61,000 is the third highest cost of living city in all of Georgia. How can that be? We have a very significant military base here with some 24,000+ people working there. Obviously, capitalist know that people in this area work on the base and make good money, so they price their goods and services accordingly. Which means, if you work on the base you live comfortably. If you work anywhere, you're struggling and often doing without.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:10 AM on 08/21/2009
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Oh, Karl Marx, Karl Marx.... Where is he when we need him to explain all those inequalities?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:04 AM on 08/21/2009
- Palemoon I'm a Fan of Palemoon 165 fans permalink
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Obviously no longer with us, but I'd love to see what anti-capitalists like he and Lincoln thought of modern society as we now know it, lol. The reason I mentioned Marx, is that it seems to give vindication for some of what Marx was saying some 150 years ago.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:23 AM on 08/21/2009
- Angelaaaa I'm a Fan of Angelaaaa 10 fans permalink

Ah, but the cheese is great. The wine is good but made divine by the surroundings. The bread is textured, tasty and no one buys it in a plastic bag - why would they? As for surrendering - making love not war may sound oldfashioned but it definitely makes for a better quality-of-life. I suspect it's a healthier lifestyle choice too.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:53 AM on 08/21/2009
- Pucker I'm a Fan of Pucker 2 fans permalink

France has it right.

The problem is that the key measure of our society is production­....GNP...­GDP. The reality of the situation is that we licked production long ago. We produce WAY more than we need. Yet, we still have this 19th Century Malthusian mentality that we must keep increasing production, even if its by forcing new markets...­.advertisi­ng to tell us what we need NOW....all stuff we don't need and doesn't make like more fulfilling - materialism.

Accepting cuts in production - slowing down the capitalist machine to work at a pace that best suits HUMAN needs, best builds a path for our future and our kids need - would be the best thing we could do, but it will NEVER be done.

This beast is out of control.

Would you take a smaller TV for a 3 or 4 day work week? Would you give up a fancy blender for another week of vacation?

Instead we work more to make less, and all for vapid materialism. Even with the HUGE production increases of modern technologies (computers, etc), we work more now than ever. The 1970 family had one working parent - now it's two with a load of debt.

Sad.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:34 PM on 08/20/2009
- ohiomark I'm a Fan of ohiomark 118 fans permalink

Now we know why nothing of significance comes out of France.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:23 PM on 08/20/2009

nothing of significance comes out of france?

how about things that enrich your life?

like: great wine, great art, great food.

if you don't think those items have any significance in your life, you are a robot.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:30 PM on 08/20/2009
- ohiomark I'm a Fan of ohiomark 118 fans permalink

That's it?

I can find great wine, great art and great food anywhere.

Besides, all three of those items are subjective.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:36 PM on 08/20/2009

Let see

great wine vs. cancer drugs
Great art vs. going to the moon
Great food vs Mcdonald

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:39 PM on 08/20/2009
- toje I'm a Fan of toje 13 fans permalink

Not any more.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:44 PM on 08/20/2009

no, the french do not have an exclusive patent on the good things in life, but the french were eating great food when your ancestors were still eating meat and potatoes.

wine didn't originate in france, but they took it to a higher level.

and it's not just about the food and wine and art. it's about the lifestyle.

relaxation, fun, joy of life has a value that's incalculable.

americans work far too hard to pay for subsidizing corporations and then they get down-sized and thrown out. and we're all bought off with our iphones and gps and traction control and leather interiors.

see THE GEOGRAPHY OF BLISS. it lists the happiest places and why they are so dam happy. the usa does not fare well in that, but the western europeans do.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:10 PM on 08/20/2009
- sparky73 I'm a Fan of sparky73 27 fans permalink
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We should follow their lead. The fact we are forced to work 8 hours a day for a pittance is ridiculous. France is a great example of what unions were able to do for their workers. Why can't we unionize every position and make it happen? An employee should only have to 45 weeks a year max and we should also bring the wages up.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:58 PM on 08/20/2009
- veritas2u I'm a Fan of veritas2u 6 fans permalink
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They work an average of 39 weeks per year and are still an world economic power! We might be able to learn something from them in the area productivity and diplomacy. Perhaps the fact that their education and health care systems are more efficient than ours might have something to do with it.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:37 PM on 08/20/2009
- Weirdwriter I'm a Fan of Weirdwriter 332 fans permalink
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And they probably all get better quality, affordable health care than we do....

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:23 PM on 08/20/2009
- BillyMae I'm a Fan of BillyMae 7 fans permalink

Yep. According to the World Health Organization, France is Number 1, when US was Number 37. BTW, docs still make house calls - imagine that.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:36 PM on 08/20/2009
- Tom95134 I'm a Fan of Tom95134 53 fans permalink
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What's a "house call?"

Why would I call a doctor for my house? Is it sick?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:48 PM on 08/20/2009
- MajorKong I'm a Fan of MajorKong 385 fans permalink
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Yeah, but at least ours costs a lot more than theirs.....

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:52 PM on 08/20/2009
- MinuteMan I'm a Fan of MinuteMan 5 fans permalink

The GOPers renamed french fries and stopped drinking French wine saying "take that you cheese eating surrend monkies. It would seem that the French have got the better of them: after all living well is the best revenge. Vive la France!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:47 PM on 08/20/2009
- Tom95134 I'm a Fan of Tom95134 53 fans permalink
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Actually, not many French eat French Fries. They have much better things to eat than greasy, deep fried potatoes.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:50 PM on 08/20/2009
- MajorKong I'm a Fan of MajorKong 385 fans permalink
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Ah, but a properly made frite is a thing of beauty.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:52 PM on 08/20/2009
- sparky73 I'm a Fan of sparky73 27 fans permalink
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pom frites?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:59 PM on 08/20/2009
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And actually, french fries aren't French... They originated in Belgium. When American troops were in northern Belgium during the world war, they headed south to France, but at the southern part of Belgium they speak French and they had what we call "french fries". Since they though they had arrived to France, they attributed the food to the French when they were Belgian all along.

Oh and yes, Vive la France!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:48 PM on 08/20/2009
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pommes frites avec mayo. because french fries alone weren't enough fat!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:43 PM on 08/21/2009
- LMPE I'm a Fan of LMPE 64 fans permalink

"They-uts cuz they's soshulists" says the GOP's base

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:20 PM on 08/20/2009
- MaybeMilo I'm a Fan of MaybeMilo 38 fans permalink
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Au revoir, mon petit pois.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:31 PM on 08/20/2009
- factotem I'm a Fan of factotem 127 fans permalink
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Vous ete un... trou du cul.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:11 PM on 08/20/2009
- MaybeMilo I'm a Fan of MaybeMilo 38 fans permalink
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Je sais que vous êtes mais ce qui suis moi ?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:03 PM on 08/20/2009

Many Americans work far to much. Some countries have mandated a minimum vacation time. In America you stress over how to pay for education, over healthcare, and your employer can work you around the clock for next to nothing with no vacation time, and then fire you if you become sick so their insurance premiums don't rise. Americans are stressed out, which leads to poor eating habits, and poor health. The majority of American workers need a break, need to relax and get some rest and relaxation.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:30 PM on 08/20/2009
- scottarino I'm a Fan of scottarino 12 fans permalink
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...but....but we're free.....I mean...free to do as they tell us.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:12 PM on 08/20/2009

I want to put a serious question out there, aimed specifically at opponents of SERIOUS health care reform... and those of you who keep saying "We don't want the US to turn into France."

Answer me honestly.

In terms of quality of life issues... in terms of the day to day life and the overall lifetime of an average working class citizen...

Can you tell me ONE WAY that the United States is superior to France?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:26 PM on 08/20/2009
- endex05 I'm a Fan of endex05 22 fans permalink

People in the US never really liked Jerry Lewis

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:29 PM on 08/20/2009
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LOL....

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:55 PM on 08/20/2009

Any grown-ups want to answer my question?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:58 PM on 08/20/2009

We didn't crumble at the hands of the Nazi's?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:40 PM on 08/20/2009
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France has a muslim and socialism problem.

neither are attractive to me

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:42 PM on 08/20/2009
- Bafun I'm a Fan of Bafun 18 fans permalink

You mean the French pay for the muslims?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:16 PM on 08/21/2009

there isn't one.

not one.

corporations rule us completely, and they got it all.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:22 PM on 08/20/2009
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I'm French and I work like a maniac :/ But I guess I have an American working profile (workaholic :D)

@ Matt Mihaly : Well, technically yes, in France we have a public insurance (mandatory, free for the poor) and private insurances for the fancy stuff (optional).
The public insurance reimburses 60% (in my region 90%*) and the private insurance the rest + "fancy" dental work, glasses...
A lot of people don't have private insurance to save money. You don't really need it unless your teeth are really bad and you need new glasses every year.

* My region (Alsace-Lorraine) is an exception. We pay more into the public insurance but we get more and our priests are paid by the State (not the case in the rest of France)

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:07 PM on 08/20/2009
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