We estimate interindustry wage differentials using new French longitudinal data that allow a tracking of workers and their firms over time. We find that, when measured on a cross‐sectional basis, they primarily reflect the interindustry variations in unmeasured labor quality. However, interindustry wage differentials are only a minor component of interfirm wage differentials. The average differential in wages paid to the same workers by different firms is about 20%–30%. In a given industry, wage policies are more favorable to workers in large, capital‐intensive firms.

This paper reports findings from a randomized evaluation of an intensive tutoring program conducted in underprivileged high schools. Within each school, the intervention targets students identified as having the ability to pursue a college education. The program is designed to strengthen their readiness for higher education. We demonstrate that such an intervention can have negative effects on a large fraction of participants, even though participation is entirely voluntary. This result is consistent with a simple model where time invested in extracurricular programs and time invested in homework represent imperfect substitutes in the education production function.

Leisure externalities across households have important implications for labor market regulations but have proven very difficult to identify. This paper exploits the unique features of school holidays and paid leave regulations in France to show that exogenous increases in the amount of leisure time enjoyed by workers living with children induce very significant increases in the demand for leisure of workers living in other households. We also provide evidence that these cross effects are driven by complementarities in nonmarket time rather than workplace norms or workplace externalities.

The famous events of May 1968, starting with student riots, threw France into a state of turmoil. As a result, normal examination procedures were abandoned, and the pass rate for various qualifications increased enormously. The lowering of thresholds at critical stages of the education system enabled a proportion of students to pursue more years of higher education than would otherwise have been possible. For those on the margin of passing their examinations, additional years of higher education increased future wages and occupational levels. Interestingly, the effect is also transmitted across generations and is reflected in the educational performance of children.

We analyze recent changes in the occupational structure of French manufacturing firms. Firms employ a greater proportion of engineers working on the design and marketing of new products and a lower proportion of high‐skill experts working in administration‐related activities. Firms have also reduced the share of production‐related activities at both the levels of high‐skill and low‐skill workers. We develop a labor demand model that shows the role played by technological change. New technologies make it possible to allocate more human resources to the activities that are the most difficult to program in advance.