This is a realization of a long-term project that must be born earlier this week. The association Optics solidarity launches on Monday the "pass glasses." A device that should allow seniors whose financial resources are too thin to allow them to purchase a mutual good, to provide appropriate spectacles from their view. 8,000 to 10,000 people, aid recipients in the complementary health throughout France, and should soon receive a voucher to enjoy a fitness trail at cost, including consultation with the ophthalmologist, and the purchase glasses with progressive lenses from an optician.

No low cost

"We are working on this project for three years," says Xavier Subirana, ophthalmologist and president of the Optical solidarity. He says the idea inspired by the HEC Chair "Social Businee / Enterprise and Poverty" as co-chairs Martin Hirsch has mobilized the entire industry. "Danone is one of the pioneers of social business, but in this case we thought it was much more efficient to use the entire industry as a business." To date, 13 additional health (including AG2R La Mondiale, April, Groupama …), 500 opticians, Essilor as industrial and ophthalmologists have concentrated their power to facilitate the implementation of the concept. "It's not a charity that requires a donation. Here people pay for their glasses, "says Nicolas Lambert, owner of Essilor France. Ultimately, the patient should spend at most a few dollars instead of 300 euros today. "This is an innovative business model where one neither gains nor loses money. And this is not the low cost, says Xavier Subirana, people buy the raw material and technology. Everything else is covered by the efforts of the margins at various levels by the industry. The doctor's visit is to be discounted fully refundable. " For now, Nicolas Lambert admits even Essilor making losses. To produce the lenses, and assemble the eleven models of glasses offered by the pass, the company is including operated its plant in Toulouse outside normal production hours.

140,000 persons concerned

But to make the project a success, we must know the device. Tested later this year in Marseille, the "eye pass" has proven its usefulness but also revealed the difficulty of reaching the target. "We know that some seniors throw good because they think it is an advertisement," lamented Xavier Subirana. As such, the role of complementary health is important because it is they who must identify people who can benefit. "The more mutual partners in the project will increase the more we can touch people," says association president. Discussions are also underway with new complementary. The first patients in the Paris region should get their equipment in early June. It will be a little longer for the province because of the smaller number of ophthalmologists. Then a second phase will be launched by the end of the year. Eventually 140,000 people should benefit from "pass glasses." In addition, the partners hope that their initiative will give ideas to other sectors.

Month after month, Europe confirms that it is a disaster area in the car. In April, sales of new cars fell 6.9% year on year, its seventh consecutive monthly decline. After falling 7.5% since the beginning of the year will likely decline in 2012 for the fifth consecutive year.

The situations are however mixed. Among major markets, only Germany (+2.9%) and Britain (+3.3%) rose last month. In France, the decline in registrations was limited to 1.9%. But they collapse in the countries worst hit by the crisis: Italy (- 18%) and Spain (- 21.7%). Greece (- 56.7%) and Portugal (- 41.7%), two opportunities are more limited, the situation is terribly wrong.

The companies have also had mixed fortunes. The brands are particularly general practitioners to the penalty. Renault sales, which lack novelties – the Clio 4 is scheduled for fall – and have tumbled 15.1% last month. PSA is, however, remained stable (+0.2%) thanks to the success of the DS series, the premium line of Citroën. Four months of concern both for PSA, Renault, whose sales fell by 13.6% and 21.3% in Europe. These two manufacturers remain very dependent on the Old Continent, which represented nearly 60% of their volumes last year.

Factories idle

To reduce inventory, they reduce the rate in French factories. The production of passenger and commercial PSA dropped 2.3% in the first quarter in the Hexagon, while Renault has shrunk by 12 online pay day loans.6%. Consequently, several sites are affected PSA for months by partial unemployment. In May, they set factories in Mulhouse, Sochaux and Rennes, as well as that of Vesoul, in the Doubs, penalized by the freezing of the activity of manufacturing spare parts for an Iranian partner. For its part, Renault has scheduled working days lost in Maubeuge this month.

Another side effect, the difficulties of PSA could penalize the joint venture it owns with BMW in the hybrid technologies, said Wednesday the boss of the German manufacturer, Norbert Reithofer.

Opel, whose sales fell 16.9% in Europe last month, is also in trouble. In the first quarter, its parent company, American General Motors, lost $ 256 million on the Old Continent, leaded by the underutilization of its plants, as his ally PSA, which it owns 7%.

Also impacted the volumes of Fiat, Toyota and Nissan were down 11.5%, 14.4% and 20%. The Volkswagen group outperformed the market, through its Skoda and Audi premium brand. On the same niche, BMW and Mercedes are also growing. As for brands like, Korean Kia is also continuing its spectacular offensive, with a jump of 19.1% last month.

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The market turmoil and the records set by some works have led some dreaming. Why not investirdans paintings or sculptures? The art has never earned as much as in 2011. "It can be a significant element of personal wealth," said HSBC, which helps clients in their purchases and sales based on the consulting firm in 1858. The art market is tempting, but it is not without pitfalls because it is neither transparent nor regulated. Besides the auction, private sales by galleries or OTC account for over half the market. "There has never been so many opportunities to lose a lot of money," says Celine Fressart, consultant in 1858.

A major work of a minor artist rather than vice versa

The experts also keep well to advise their clients to buy this or that work because it will be a good investment. There is no guarantee that prices will rise, he must first find the artists and works that please the customer. "Any investment must first be done with the eyes, but the reason is needed to avoid costly errors, "warns Fressart Celine, who says not recommended nine times out of ten customers a purchase because often too high a price oud'un doubt about the origin. She advises particular caution on Internet sales. And remember that we should not buy art not representative of an artist. "Better to buy a major work of a minor artist than the reverse."

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Chambers of commerce and industry want to work with the new president and new government on major economic issues: SMEs, industry, international business development, training and learning. "We are a driving force. We are not in the claim, "said Jacques Pfister, Senior Vice President of the Assembly of French Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ACFCI) and President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Marseille Provence in presenting the 22 proposals of the network of chambers of commerce and industry.

Sign of this willingness to change and to affirm their desire to play leading roles in major economic debates, chambers of commerce and industry adopt a new logo, "CCI de France." "There are not many networks of entrepreneurs also involved in the economy of the territories and as close to the territories. We are a private Datar, "says Jacques Pfister, referring to the Directorate of Planning.

Chambers of commerce are active in many areas. "They are machines to do economic development, to train young people to manage infrastructure," says Pierre-Antoine Gailly, second vice-president of the ACFCI and President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Paris. They train apprentices. They welcome students into their business schools. They manage airports or ports. They support SMEs internationally. They help entrepreneurs. They look after employment. "The Chamber of Commerce Marseille Provence 1000 supports RSA beneficiaries per year for four years," said Jacques Pfister.

Simplification of yarrow territorial

Anxious to participate in the economic recovery, the Chambers of Commerce argue that France gets a real industrial ambition. They want to make 2013 the year of the industry. They offer a one-stop financing industrial area to help entrepreneurs to find funding.

The launch of a contingency plan to enable SMEs to enter new markets is asked to stop the decline in the number of exporting companies that are not more numerous in 2011 than in 1995. Large groups will be forced to work with "a share of SMEs and SMIs in the French part of their contracts together abroad."

Noting that France is over-managed and that the powers of territorial and state overlap, chambers of commerce and industry urge a simplification of territorial yarrow, strengthening the role of cities and best use of ports or airports. "It is possible to create a% of GDP higher if we reflect on the cities and provide 1% of GDP higher by focusing on the ports of Marseille and Le Havre," said Jacques Pfister.

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The average levy of taxes and social contributions on labor income has increased in most OECD countries in 2011, with the notable exception of the United States, according to the latest survey on the taxation of wages published by the organization of the Château de la Muette.

For single workers without children, the heaviest tax systems are in Belgium (55.5% of gross salary from taxes), Germany (49.8%), Hungary and France (49.4%). The tax charge used by the OECD includes taxes on income but also social contributions and employer.

For families with two children on one income, tax systems are the highest in France (42.3%), Belgium (40.3%) and Italy (38.6%), while the Switzerland (8.4%) and Ireland (7.1%) among the lower-taxed countries.

But crisis requires, in 2011 the average tax burden for people earning the average wage increased by 0.3%, notably due to the increase in income tax, the OECD notes. The largest increases were recorded in Ireland (+3.8 points), Hungary (+2.4) and Portugal (+1.4), three European countries highly affected by the crisis. In France, the rise was moderate, from 0.2% to 0.3% year on year, according to the fireplaces.

The United States formed the exception. The total tax wedge is indeed decreased by 0.9 point in 2011, due to a reduction in employee social security contributions which more than offset an increase in income taxes resulting from the expiration of the tax credit recoverable for temporary make work pay.

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With a key concession, Mario Monti has torn their agreement to the political forces for reform of labor law that has as its capital for renewed growth.

"The bill I will introduce to Parliament represents a historic opportunity to create jobs, improve the labor market in quality and quantity and reduce unemployment permanently," he said at a news conference Wednesday night . Beside him, the Minister of Labour, Elsa Fornero, extensively detailed a complex reform which should significantly reduce the uncertainty and guarantee coverage to millions of young people without permanent jobs.

To overcome the ongoing wrangle by the confederation CGIL working, the most powerful and most left unions and the Democratic Party who had followed suit, the government had to make some concessions. These concern the right of dismissal, framed by Article 18 of the Labour Code, considered an intangible acquired by the unions. Elsa Fornero recognizes that Article 18 is "a great conquest of labor law, but must adapt to a world profoundly changed" since its adoption in 1970.

Arbitration courts

In cases of collective redundancy, compensation of twelve to twenty months is expected. If it is a disciplinary dismissal, no reinstatement is possible pay day advance. However, if it is an individual disciplinary dismissal without "just cause" (or "unfounded", said Mario Monti), it is for the judge to decide whether to order reinstatement or award of compensation. In the previous version, any notion of reintegration was excluded.

Pier Luigi Bersani, the leader of the Democratic Party – left – has defined the amendment "a very important step forward." The leader of the main leftist party feels relieved not to have to hire a showdown with the government it supports Monti since his inauguration last November. Mario Monti would like to see adopted its reform as soon as possible, by the summer. It does not exclude liability to ensure that this reform is distorted by the amendments.

The government wants to give a signal quickly to reassure the markets, while the borrowing rate differential with Germany is ironed on Thursday at 358 basis points, the highest in a month. After the pension reform in December and January of liberalization, reform of the labor market is the third stage of the crisis of Italy.

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Adecco France announced Thursday the elimination of 530 positions in France, a total of 6300. This plan of "voluntary departure", which aims to combine the two networks of investment generalists Adia and Adecco Adecco under one brand, will affect agencies and support functions.

It is implementing the strategy of the world leader in the interim, does one relativizes at Adecco France. The process accelerated by the economic environment, aims to "preserve the group's competitiveness in the market for temporary recruitment and generalist." It is not comparable with the 600 job cuts in 2008, due exclusively to the economic crisis, said a spokesman of Adecco France.

The worldwide turnover of Adecco also apparent at 20.5 billion euros in 2011, an increase of 10%, a growth rate also applies to the French subsidiary. And its net income rose 23% to 519 million euros. The placement remained "moderate" but "the general investment, particularly in the industrial sector, continued to drive growth," said CEO Patrick de Maeseneire.

2012 will be "difficult"

Not surprisingly, the economic downturn, however, mark the results of Adecco from the fall. Its turnover has stagnated in the last quarter of its two main markets, the United States (18% of sales with Canada) and France (28%) guaranteed payday loans. In January, revenues fell 9% in the Hexagon, the world leader in precise placement of staff.

"The activity has deteriorated since October. We see a significant drop from December, with a 8.4% drop in interim placements, followed by a similar drop in January. In February and the trend is not good, "says his side Arnaud de la Tour, French trade union president Prism.

The decline is very clear in the automotive industry and also quite strong in construction, two sectors, each representing 20% ​​of the interim in the Hexagon. Agribusiness and aerospace are doing, however, still well. But the year would be "difficult", provides Arnaud de la Tour.

It is however far from the 2008-2009 crisis. The activity had declined sharply by 30%, losing 240,000 full-time equivalents, the worst decline since the trade. And the rise was almost as brutal, the market recovering almost to its previous level in summer 2011.

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"We are quite far from the disaster announced by some, said Herve Hatt, CEO Meilleurtaux guaranteed payday loans. Rates remain very attractive at the moment but the banks should pass gradually rising bond interest rates in coming months. "

Lower prices in the third quarter 2011

The average prices of real estate should they be on the downside. Many professionals have already announced cuts in the third quarter of 2011.

For two years, confidence in the Italian government has been falling as steadily deteriorating relationship with the political world."Concerned about a financial crisis, two-thirds of Italians believe that the worst is to come, distressed by unemployment and social welfare in a period of greater vulnerability, they felt that no one took him round the waist problems, do not even recognize the existence, says Nando Pagnoncelli, director of Ipsos. Neither the government and elected a parliament that does not debating the privacy of the Chairman, corruption and their internal battles. "Not only the Italians refuse to grant more confidence in Berlusconi but, having in head the failure of the Prodi team in 2008, after a year and a half of government, they can not believe that the Left in power would be able to govern.