Recent figures and surveys suggest more and more young French people are heading through departures gate at France’s airports to find work in foreign climes.
And then there are the reports of strikes and mass redundancies – all of which give the impression that France is slowly but surely shutting down.
But while you might hear complaints from sections of the French population about the state of the country, you're less likely to hear moaning from foreigners who work here.
That's because many recognize the benefits of working in a country that, even if there's plenty of strife and strikes going on around them, is still a great place to work.
“Don’t be pessimistic,” Christopher Chantrey from the British in France community organization tells The Local, in a message to anyone thinking about coming to France to find work.
“People should not be put off. It’s definitely worth a try even if it’s just for the benefit of opening your mind and seeing how things work in France compared to the Anglo approach.
“Hopefully we are now seeing signs of an economic recovery too, so things might be looking more positive soon,” he said.
On the job front, it's not all bad news. There may be record unemployment but there are jobs out there, although temporary contracts are more likely than permanent ones.
“"It's not all doom and gloom," Paris based recruiter Megan Ascione, from EuroLondon Appointments told The Local.
"We have been ok this year and I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary. If things haven't worked out for us for some reason, it's not been because there's a lack of jobs out there.
"Expats need to keep that in mind. It's probably similar to the UK. The market is nowhere near as bad as in 2009. There are jobs out there and it's just a question of finding the right one," she said.
Another recruiter, Diana Zaharia said from the agency Jobs in Paris told The Local that their Paris recruitment website was one the top performers among their network. “That certainly wasn’t the case earlier this year.”
But if all this hasn't convinced you then perhaps reading our Top Ten reasons why France is a great country to work in might. Do you agree with them? Tell us what we missed.
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