National, World, Business News

The rating agency Moody's warned Monday about the risks posed by the rise in yields on French government bonds on the rating of sovereign debt of France in a context of uncertainty on growth.

"The sustained high funding costs amplify the fiscal challenges facing the French government in a context of deteriorating growth prospects, with negative consequences on credit", written Kockerbeck Alexander, an analyst at the agency.

Moody's announced in mid-October that it would monitor and assess the stability of the perspective of the French Aaa rating within three months.

Private sector employees in four will. And the public, who were spared, one will suffer. "In fairness", says Bercy, which hopes to save 200 million euros a year. A fourth day waiting period will be introduced for private sector employees.

A fourth day waiting period will be introduced for private sector employees on sick leave, the government said Tuesday, expecting a saving of 200 million euros for Social Security. Currently, time to which employees are compensated by health insurance is three days, often offset by the employer in large companies.

"In fairness," will also be established "one day waiting in the three public functions", announced in a joint statement the Ministers Budget Valérie Pécresse, Labour Xavier Bertrand and François Public Sauvadet.Earlier in the morning, Prime Minister Francois Fillon ruled "reasonable" before the UMP to create a day off for employees on sick leave.

If the introduction of a fourth day in the private sector is a regulatory measure, the measure for staff requires a statutory provision, the statement said. The ministers' per diem disease, representing 6.6 billion, growing at a rapid pace and difficult to justify (3.9% in 2010, after 5.1% in 2009). "

Ministers argue that "the bill initial funding of social security plans to change the replacement rate of subsistence allowances (DSA), enabling a lower expenditure of 220 million euros." Both measures are intended to achieve "an economy equivalent," explains Ms. Pécresse and MM. Bertrand and Sauvadet.

In the shadow of the Greek psychodrama, it was necessary progress on the major issues of international economic cooperation. Review of some successes and many failures G20 Cannes. Nicolas Sarkozy has ended with a G20 Cannes press conference, November 4, 2011. REUTERS / Yves Herman (FRANCE – Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS)

He wanted to make a summit unforgettable symbol of his power. But the setbacks in Europe, and the announcement of the referendum at the last minute Greek – have been abandoned, the chairman of the G20 in Cannes, Nicolas Sarkozy, in great difficulties. In the shadow of European psychodrama, the Head of State has still attempted to advance the cause of international economic cooperation. With mixed success. Balance sheet.

To read the official press release here.

Tobin Tax: A Small Step U.S.

It must have been one of the key topics of the French Presidency.Nicolas Sarkozy had even managed to convince Angela Merkel to go along with this idea of ​​a tax on financial transactions to support the development. But not surprisingly, no consensus could be found, too many countries there are still opposed. The head of state, however, has been commended for supporting Barack Obama on this theme, declaring that France and the United States "had a common analysis to help the world of finance to solving the current crisis. "

The Irish budget deficit has reduced by 4 percentage points of GDP since 2009. Corporate profitability recovered sharply. But deleveraging too fast may influence the activity against becoming productive. Pedestrians in Dublin

If Ireland is still part of PIGS, it can not be in the same category as Greece or Portugal, as progress in a few months by former Tiger European are important. The Irish budget deficit – excluding bank recapitalization needs – fell by 4 percentage points of GDP since 2009. The current account deficit turned into a small surplus. Finally, corporate profitability recovered sharply.

The experts of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of the European Central Bank (ECB) and European Commission, who have just completed their assessment mission in Ireland, are seduced. "The ongoing adjustment is solid.The 2011 budget targets will be achieved and the ongoing structural reforms will also contribute to sanitation, "they note in their report.

However, Ireland is now entering a delicate phase. Or the risk of too rapid deleveraging weigh on activity, against becoming productive. The experts of the IMF, the ECB and the Commission to admit the hint. "Ireland will have to find a balance between the imperatives of debt reduction and limitation of the barriers to growth and job creation," they point out in their report. This sentence harmless and a bit blurry could announce a change in strategy for Ireland. The country needs it, says a recent report by Goodbody Broker.

Make concessions

Indeed, in Ireland, over-indebtedness affects both the public sector, private sector and banks.Simultaneously reducing the three is clearly a bad idea, says the report. If Ireland is determined to meet all objectives at the same time, the evolving recovery will be quickly suppressed. A risk highlighted recently by the Finance Minister Michael Noonan. Especially since the motor only turns in exports. The domestic market remains depressed by lower prices (unit labor costs fell by 15% and commercial property prices have been divided by two).

We must therefore make concessions to one side. But which one? As for households, the government can not do much. The debt reached 220% of disposable income, nearly twice the international average. And fall of financial markets could reduce household net wealth of 250 billion euros. The Irish are going to have to tighten their belts for several years.Make concessions on the public debt is also not in a financial crisis. Ireland recorded a primary deficit of 6% of GDP in 2011. This is the worst result of the euro area.

Remaining banks. They must bring their ratios to 122% loan to deposit by 2013. The challenge today is to allow banks to achieve that clean without excessively penalizing the credit. This will doubtless involve additional time but also further aid from the ECB, economists now believe. Lengthy discussion in perspective.

After the improvement of labor market frameworks in 2011, the coming months are more uncertain, according to APEC. Companies are less likely to plan to recruit executives in the fourth quarter. The barometer of APEC are signs of loss of business confidence.

2011 promises to be a good year for executives with a job market that has "resilient" but uncertainties in 2012, with gloomy economic outlook, according to the quarterly barometer of the Association for the use of frameworks (APEC) on Wednesday. "The year 2011 will be a very good year. It is the certainty, it is behind us, as business investment have been supported," said the executive director of APEC Jacky Chatelain, at a conference the press.

"But at the end of this year there are also elements of uncertainty," he said.Thus, if a significant number of companies plan to hire at least a part in the 4th quarter, a smaller proportion than in the third quarter are in fact some of it. 53% of companies with more than 100 employees plan to recruit at least one frame between October and December, an increase of 4 percentage points year on year. But only 69% of these are certain to do so – against 75% last quarter.

In the third quarter, employment remained strong: 57% of companies with more than one hundred employees, or 3 points from the third quarter of 2010, recruited at least one frame. The job assigned to the Apec also increased by 59% over one year in the third quarter. Nearly 140,000 bids were entrusted to the association. "The engine of growth" was the area of ​​the Council and business services: 100% in the third quarter of 2011, against 73% over the same period of 2010).But since then, signs of loss of business confidence have emerged: in September 21% of companies felt that the economic situation had deteriorated over the past year, against 16% in June

Graduates most affected by this pessimism

This loss of confidence seems to work against graduates, for whom the "hiring intentions are down for the first time in two years," said Pierre Lamblin Director of Education and Research APEC.

In a context "uncertain", companies are looking more frames already trained more operational: 41% of companies planning to hire in Q4 target young graduates, a decline of six points in one year, according to the survey, result of telephone inquiries conducted by the company in September Gn operations, with a panel of 750 firms with over 100 employees, representing the private sector."This is not not a disaster," the proportion was only 22% in late 2008, said Mr. Lamblin. "But the question is: will it last and how long?".

While according to the INSEE, the overall unemployment rate in France could reach 9.2% of the workforce in the fourth quarter, the executive is now much lower, around 3.7 or 3.8%. But the conditions of re-employment of executives have deteriorated from the end of 2008 and the long-term unemployment has increased frames. Today, a third of managers are unemployed for more than 12 months.

Confidence will be key to reviving growth in the U.S. economy and soothe the anger that swells around the global financial system, determined by the Director General of General Electric, who said he understood the movement of "outrage" of Wall Street.

Jeff Immelt, who heads the world's leading manufacturer of aircraft engines and electric turbines is also senior adviser to President Obama for employment and the economy.

"Until we have restored confidence, we can not move forward," he said at a conference organized by Thomson Reuters in New York.

He called for exercise of "empathy" with respect to the crowds of protesters occupying Wall Street and parade through the United States last month to denounce the excesses of the financial system, inequality and the economic crisis.

"Unemployment reached 9.1%. Underemployment is even higher, especially among young people without a university degree," he listed. "It is natural to assume that people are angry."

"The only way to solve this particular problem is growth," he said. "If unemployment is falling, people will feel better.If unemployment rises, people will feel even worse, what happens on Wall Street, no matter what the reform of finance. "

Jeff Immelt also commented on the debt crisis in the euro area, which worries financial markets worldwide and has already pushed major banks like Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase to announce layoffs.

"The most likely scenario is that Europe has a low growth for a long time," he said.

A tax on financial transactions will not see the day at the international level, as expected, Nicolas Sarkozy, the finance ministers of the G20 Saturday overwhelmingly rejected the initiative.

Delegations American, Canadian, Japanese, Indian or Brazilian were against such a tax, which was one of the flagship initiatives that France hoped to advance during its presidency of the G20.

The tax, which is also reluctant Britain except that it is comprehensive, however, could be created only within the euro area, led by France and Germany.

"It was clear that we need to implement this tax in Europe because there is no support to do a comprehensive plan," agreed the German finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, after the meeting .

The European Commission has proposed the end of September an EU tax on financial transactions from 2014 excluding the foreign exchange market.

Under this proposal, transactions outside of Europe would also be taxed, from the time they involve a bank or other financial institution of the old continent, to avoid capital flight.

The tax does not, however, concern individuals or operations on the primary market sovereign debt and current share price.

The figures given by the Community executive cover a 0.1% tax on exchanges of shares and bonds and 0.01% on the exchange of products.

The device could raise some 30 billion euros per year, according to several preliminary estimates in the Community executive.

According to a recent survey by the Commission, 65% of Europeans are in favor of this tax.

The giant consumer products Anglo-Dutch Unilever announced Friday the acquisition of 82% of the Russian cosmetics company Kalina Concern for 500 million euros.

Concern Kalina, Russia's number one segment of the cosmetics and hair care, is present mainly in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

"This will transform the business of Unilever in cosmetics in Russia (…) This will also strengthen and rebalance the portfolio of Unilever and its competitive position in Russia, an emerging market with great potential and the One of our priority countries, "he said in a statement the general manager of Unilever, Paul Polman.

The action Unilever, which gained 7% last month, advancing 1.6% to 20.88 pounds at 7:20 GMT, valuing the company at about 26 billion pounds (29.8 billion euros).

Burberry has released results for the second quarter of 2011 better than expected, supported by new store openings and strong demand in China.

The British luxury group said it had not yet seen any slowdown in demand despite uncertainty about the evolution of global growth.

The group, which manufactures waterproof and leather for a century and a half, announced Wednesday an increase of 29% of its turnover to 463 million pounds (529 million) for April-June

This performance is close to 30% in the first quarter and higher than the average forecast of 10 analysts polled by Reuters, to 448 million pounds (512 million).

Sales in stores, on a comparable basis, increased 16% in the second quarter, against 15% in the first, led by demand in New York, London, Hong Kong and Dubai.

Sales in China rose 30%, a development in line with the first quarter.

Burberry said it maintained its expansion plans, adding that he was ready to adjust if the signals of a slowdown in demand for luxury goods.

The coalition parties are divided on aid to Greece. The Prime Minister threatened to resign if the Slovak Parliament does not vote, this afternoon, strengthening the EFSF. If the vote is negative, the mechanism of rescue of Greece is paralyzed. Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova and the president of Freedom and Solidarity Movement (SaS) Richard Sulik in negotiations for el parliamentary vote of expanding the EFSF on 10 october 2011.

The Slovak coalition parties, on the brink because of a profound disagreement on strengthening the Rescue Fund of the euro area (EFSF), should continue their last-minute negotiations Tuesday morning, a few hours of the crucial vote in Parliament . A small party of the four-party coalition, the Freedom and Solidarity Movement (SAS), is willing to torpedo the EFSF during the vote, expected in the afternoon.

Facing the worst crisis since the installation of his cabinet in July 2010, Prime Minister Iveta Radicova threatened to resign if the coalition could not agree, according to the Slovak press. According to news agency SITA, has offered to link the vote on the EFSF a vote of confidence, to resign if the strengthening of the Fund does not go to Parliament or to resign before the election. "I will make a responsible decision, by tomorrow morning, on the proposal that I will do my coalition partners," she said Monday, without further details. She said it was his "ability to govern" is at stake

Bratislava does not pay its contribution of 7.7 billion EFSF

To enter into force, the expansion of EFSF must be ratified by 17 countries in the euro area.Entry into the euro area in 2009, Slovakia is the last of its members have not yet ruled on this issue. Malta has given the green light Monday night. Considering that the Slovaks are too poor to pay for the mistakes of others, the head of SaS Richard Sulik opposes EFSF, unless that Slovakia is provided to pay its contribution of 7.7 billion euros to the fund increased to 440 billion, a possibility already excluded by Brussels.

His liberal and Eurosceptic movement also requires Bratislava gets a veto on future disbursements EFSF and may disengage from the ongoing European Stability Mechanism (ESM) intended to replace the EFSF in 2013. A negative vote of Slovakia paralyze the financial rescue mechanisms decided on July 21 at a summit of leaders of the eurozone help the financially troubled countries, including Greece heavily in debt.

The ruling coalition in Bratislava holds 79 of the 150 parliamentary seats and therefore does not have a sufficient majority without the 22 members of the SAS. If the SAS continues to block the vote in Parliament, the coalition would seek the support of the opposition Social Democratic Party (Smer-SD) of former Prime Minister Robert Fico (62 deputies). But it said it would not support the EFSF unless obtained major concessions: a government reshuffle or early elections.