Country: France
What is it like where you live? I live in a rural area - the main problem I have with this area is it is still very 'traditional' in terms of gender roles - by which I mean sexist. There are different standards of behaviour expected from women and that just pisses me off. I don't think that is French - I think that is local. The area I live is beautiful though, and I get to live very cheaply, owning my own house with no credit and covering the bills with a part time job that allows me to be a full time mother.
What are the major issues there? Unemployment is quite high at the moment - 7-8% depending on where you get your info. And around here it is higher than that. Also, France has an ageing population, supporting the retired population is getting harder and harder as their numbers slowly increase. In some areas (more urban) immigration and integration seems to be an issue. Don't get me wrong, everyone is welcome in France, as long as they behave like the French and adopt a completely French lifestyle.
How is the standard or living? Good. Very good actually - but the means by which people finance their lifestyles are somewhat different from those I am used to. Credit cards are getting a little more popular but really are far rarer here. Big money items that people want are bought on Hire Purchase; car, furniture, computer, home entertainment systems, bathroom makeover, etc., etc.. Mortgages are harder to get and require more upfront capital. As a result more people rent for longer. At the moment the French are all patting themselves on the back for having a stronger banking system than other countries. What they are neglecting is all that personal debt stacked up against an individual's monthly income - that and that, despite what France would like to believe, it is part of the global infrastructure and cannot escape the knock on effects.
Health care? Very good. Among the best in world - certainly the best state sponsored in the world. The trouble there, of course, is that it is so fucking expensive for the state. And with an ageing population the financial burden of maintain the system is becoming harder and harder to bear.
Work hours? 35 hour week is official standard, though in practise it is 39 for most companies - the 4 extra hours can be at a 'negotiated extra cost'. Also there is a statutory requirement for an interrupted period of one day's rest per week, which in principle should be on a Sunday. An employee must have, in principle, a minimum of 11 hours' consecutive rest per day. There is in principle a limit of 48 hours per week, and even in exceptional circumstances, working time may not exceed 60 hours per week. Working time may not exceed an average of 44 hours per week for a period of 12 consecutive weeks.
The 35 hours is a bit weak if you ask me. The French are not lazy but there is a prevailing attitude that the employer owes a huge debt to the employee rather than it being a mutually beneficial arrangement.