The Guardian on Saturday reported on the 15,000 French people, mostly young and single, who come to the UK each year in order to get a better job.

About two-thirds of the French moving to Britain are under 36, and three-quarters are single. They are often qualified mathematicians or engineers. Many head for well-paid work in London. "Salaries are higher than in France and can grow quickly," said Samuel Remy, a French man working for the travel group Travco. "Pay rises every year and bonuses depending on your performance are generally the case. This has to be set against the cost of living of London - above all housing and transport."

France's youth unemployment rate is around 23%, rising to 50% in young immigrant communities - a crucial factor behind last year's riots in many areas. France's overall unemployment rate tops 9%, compared with 5% in the UK.

Besides this, the British economy has been reasonably successful at creating new jobs - 2.4 million of them since 1997 - and jobs in the UK tend to be better paid. Wages have been rising strongly in Britain for the past decade, but have stagnated in France.

Globalisation is often viewed as just being about the free flow of goods, services and capital, but globalisation of the labour force also has a lot going for it. Like free trade, the free movement of labour raises prosperity - both for migrant workers and for recipient nations, too.