Unemployment in France touched 10.2% in April, a number last seen in 1999 according to data from Eurostat.











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France's new Socialist government is planning to ramp up the cost of laying off workers for companies in the coming months, its labour minister said on Thursday after data showed the jobless rate hit the highest level this century at 10 percent.



"The main idea is to make layoffs so expensive for companies that it's not worth it," Sapin said in an interview with France Info radio.



"It's not a question of sanctions, but workers have to have compensation at the right level," he said.



Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg is also planning legislation that would force companies to sell plants they want to get rid of at market prices to avoid closures and job losses.

Mass layoffs will occur before the law passes. Companies will move any jobs they can overseas. Ongoing, if it's difficult to fire people, companies will not hire them in the first place. Corporate profits will collapse along with the stock market should the need to fire people arise.