A recent spate of suicides at France Télécom has revealed a paradox at the heart of French society: Even with robust labor protection, workers here see themselves as profoundly insecure, with many complaining about being pushed beyond their limits by the pace of economic change.

In statistical terms, the 24 suicides since February 2008 at France Télécom — including eight since the beginning of summer, with the latest confirmed by the company on Monday — are not extraordinary for a group employing 102,000 people in France.

To read this report in The New York Times in full, see:
nytimes.com/2009/09/30/business/global/30employ.html