French leader to CEOs: Invest more to get tax cut
PARIS (AP) — French President Francois Hollande is telling top companies that they have to promise to hire more workers and invest more if they want to benefit from a promised cut in payroll taxes.
Companies in France pay the highest payroll taxes in Europe. A promised 30 billion-euro ($41 billion) payroll tax cut is a centerpiece of Hollande's new bid to keep the economy from sliding back into recession and bring down nearly 11 percent unemployment.
In a speech Tuesday to French CEOs, Hollande said companies have to promise to hire a fixed number of workers in exchange. He said it's up to unions and employers to decide how many.
He also said "companies must commit to investing more in France and moving jobs back" to France from cheaper sites abroad.
