The Return of the French Maid

As unemployment in France rises, the French maid is making a comeback, The Times of London reports. The country’s employment minister recently announced incentives to help 130,000 people find work cleaning, gardening, and nannying. (It amounts to one-third of the new jobs created in France this year). The new French maid won’t come dressed in the ensemble that has become the stuff of fantasy—she prefers a blouse and trousers—and will run you about 25 euros an hour, half of which can be deducted from income tax. “Frankly, with people working longer and longer hours and more and more women working, I can only see this service growing,” one maid tells the paper.