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In 1997, French government passed a legislation bringing down the official workweek from 39 to 35 hours. The legislation was driven by the government''s belief that reduced work time and a cap on overtime would allow them to distribute jobs over the populace and thereby reduce unemployment levels. Though the initial results were encouraging, there were certain industries that started to feel that the legislation was against their interests. Voices of dissent began to escalate when unemployment levels shot up between 2002 and 2003. Intense debates over the usefulness of the 35-hour workweek raised doubts about its continuation. The case gives historical and geographic perspective of unemployment in France and how the 35-hour workweek was conceived to address the unemployment problem. The initial results and the ongoing debate about the usefulness of the law is discussed.