????

????但是，工作時(shí)間長(zhǎng)并不一定就意味著美國(guó)人的生產(chǎn)效率比法國(guó)人高。其中計(jì)算生產(chǎn)效率的一種方法就是用國(guó)家的GDP除以公民當(dāng)年的工作總時(shí)間。2011年，法國(guó)每小時(shí)工作所產(chǎn)生的GDP是57美元，美國(guó)是60美元。因此，盡管法國(guó)人看似工作時(shí)間較少，但是相比較而言，他們的生產(chǎn)效率似乎與美國(guó)工人旗鼓相當(dāng)。然而，這個(gè)插曲并不能真正展現(xiàn)法國(guó)勞工市場(chǎng)所存在的重大問題。2001年-2011年，美國(guó)的勞動(dòng)生產(chǎn)率（以每小時(shí)所產(chǎn)生的GDP來(lái)定義）增長(zhǎng)速度是法國(guó)的兩倍。這意味著美國(guó)將很有可能在未來(lái)幾年中拉開與法國(guó)的差距，除非法國(guó)對(duì)勞動(dòng)法進(jìn)行大刀闊斧地改革。

????如果使用一個(gè)更為明確的生產(chǎn)效率衡量標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，那么法國(guó)將面臨難堪的境地。這個(gè)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)便是單位勞動(dòng)成本（ULC），尤其是制造業(yè)的單位勞動(dòng)成本。單位勞動(dòng)成本衡量的是單位產(chǎn)出的平均勞動(dòng)成本。它的計(jì)算方法是用總勞動(dòng)成本除以實(shí)際經(jīng)濟(jì)產(chǎn)出。從2005年至2011年第一季度，美國(guó)制造業(yè)的單位勞動(dòng)成本沒有什么變化，而法國(guó)增長(zhǎng)了8%。它意味著，相比較美國(guó)工人，法國(guó)制造業(yè)工人的效率在降低——而且這個(gè)趨勢(shì)并沒有呈現(xiàn)任何減弱的跡象。

????很明顯，就這一點(diǎn)而言，在法國(guó)做生意不僅會(huì)變得越來(lái)越困難，而且會(huì)變得越來(lái)越低效和越來(lái)越昂貴。法國(guó)新上任的社會(huì)黨總統(tǒng)弗朗索瓦?奧朗德便在“救治”法國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)方面面臨著巨大的壓力，但是要實(shí)現(xiàn)這一個(gè)目標(biāo)，他需要其黨派的幫助。法國(guó)總理讓-馬克?艾羅曾在10月對(duì)《巴黎人報(bào)》（Le Parisien）透露，35小時(shí)每周的法定工作時(shí)長(zhǎng)為小企業(yè)“帶來(lái)了困難”。此語(yǔ)一出，他馬上受到了社會(huì)黨同僚的譴責(zé)。在其他社會(huì)黨成員的抨擊聲中，他迅速地改變了措辭。

????雖然未能推翻35小時(shí)的周工作時(shí)長(zhǎng)意味著機(jī)遇的丟失，但法國(guó)仍可以通過實(shí)施急需的勞動(dòng)改革來(lái)挽救失調(diào)的經(jīng)濟(jì)，提升生產(chǎn)效率，而且這也會(huì)降低雇主聘用或解雇員工的難度。法國(guó)國(guó)會(huì)有一項(xiàng)法案可以讓公司更為容易地關(guān)閉工廠，裁減員工。然而，鑒于社會(huì)黨與工會(huì)的緊密關(guān)系，目前還不清楚社會(huì)黨能在多大程度上支持這項(xiàng)法案。奧朗德和艾羅應(yīng)齊心協(xié)力勸說工會(huì)，如果不進(jìn)行改革，值得挽救的工作崗位可能將會(huì)不復(fù)存在。

????泰勒表示，這正是他試圖通過信件所傳達(dá)的內(nèi)容。泰勒向《費(fèi)加羅報(bào)》（Le Figaro）透露，他并不打算通過信函來(lái)侮辱法國(guó)或法國(guó)人民；他只是希望表達(dá)他對(duì)工會(huì)的不滿。

????泰勒說，“我熱愛法國(guó)。我喜歡法國(guó)女人。我并沒有忘記拉法耶特曾拯救過我們。但是法國(guó)人有必要意識(shí)到：如若他們不改變習(xí)慣，他們的生活方式可能將就此不保。”

????譯者：翔

????But working a lot more doesn't necessarily mean that Americans are more productive than their French counterparts. One way to gauge productivity is to take a nation's GDP and divide it by the total number of hours its citizens slaved away that year. In 2011, the GDP for each hour worked was $57 in France and $60 in the U.S. Therefore, it appears that while the French work less, they seem to be producing just as much as their U.S. counterparts, on a relative basis. But this snapshot doesn't really show the big problem with the French labor market. Labor productivity, as defined as GDP per hour worked, in the U.S. from 2001 to 2011 grew twice as fast as it did in France. That means the U.S. will most likely widen its lead over France in the years to come unless it makes some big changes to its labor laws.

????There is a more targeted productivity metric that paints a bad picture for France: unit labor costs (ULC), specifically the ULC of the manufacturing industry. ULC measures the average cost of labor per unit of output. It is calculated as the ratio of total labor costs relative to real economic output. From 2005 to the first quarter of 2011, the ULC in the U.S. manufacturing industry was flat, while it rose 8% in France. That means that French manufacturing workers have become less efficient relative to their American counterparts -- a trend which shows no sign of abating.

????It is pretty clear at this point that doing business in France is not only getting more difficult, it is also getting less efficient and more expensive. France's new Socialist President, Francois Hollande, is under extreme pressure to "fix" the French economy, but he will need help from his party to make it happen. Jean-Marc Ayrault, France's prime minister, came under fire from his fellow Socialists when he told Le Parisien newspaper in October that the 35-hour work week has "caused difficulties" for small businesses. He quickly recanted the statement as other Socialist party members blasted him.

????Failing to overhaul the 35-hour work week would be a missed opportunity, but France could still help its ailing economy and boost its productivity by passing much needed labor reform, which would give employers the ability to hire and fire workers more easily than they can today. There is a bill in the French parliament that would make it easier for companies to shutter plants and lay off workers during tough times. It is unclear how the Socialists will be able to support the bill given how close they are to the unions. Hollande and Ayrault should work together to convince the unions that without this reform then there may not be any jobs left worth saving.

????That is what Taylor said he was trying to convey in his letter. Speaking with Le Figaro newspaper, Taylor said it was not his intention to insult France or the French people with his letter; he simply wanted to express his frustration with the unions.

????"I love France. I like French women. I have not forgotten that LaFayette has saved us," Taylor said. "But the French need to understand: Their lifestyle will disappear if they do not change their habits."