The future managers of a "suffering city" waited on the economy and employment fronts

Deux faits économiques sont passés relativement inaperçus dans le tumulte de la campagne électorale : le plan social signé aux Ardoisières d'Angers et les derniers chiffres du chômage. Ces faits et chiffres rappellent aux nouveaux gestionnaires de la ville les attentes de leurs électeurs d'hier... et de demain.

 Two economic news went rather unnoticed the days before the second round of municipal election but will surely will remind the new city council to its existence : the definitive closure of Les Ardoisières d'Angers and the last figures of unemployement in the territory. Regarding the first topic, management and trade-unions of the mining company have signed on March 28th an agreement sealing the end of the extraction of slates. The shut down of the last mine closes a 600 years chapter of the economic history, and even of the history of Angers. There are not mo slates to produce but there is more than 130 hectares of industrial wasteland to invest.


Regarding the last unemployment figures made public in March, they were not better. In January 2014, the number of persons available for a job had grown by 5% compared to Decembre 2013, 5% for a single month. Women, jobless persons for a long period and holders of social miminum revenues were, once again, especially hit by that evolution.

The association of the two news is an explanation of the considerable proportion of abtainers in the popular districts of Angers whose votes defaulted the left candidate Frédéric Béatse when they didn't favoured his opponent, Christophe Béchu. That one, who made reference to a "suffering city" during the campaign, has stressed that economy and employment would be his most ardent duty. The expectations are on a par with the difficulties.The new mayor, who urged it was time to try new ways, can now work on doing that.