Griffin Links U.S. Debt Crisis to European Labor Policies

The United States ran a $2 trillion deficit in fiscal year 2026, according to the Treasury, with interest payments consuming more than half of that shortfall. While Washington debates spending cuts and tax adjustments, Citadel CEO Ken Griffin is pointing the finger at a different target: European labor laws.

Griffin argued that America’s $40 trillion national debt cannot be stabilized without forcing allied nations to overhaul their own economic models, specifically targeting French regulations that cap the workweek at 48 hours, or an average of 44 hours over 12 consecutive weeks. Speaking at the Citadel Securities Future of Global Markets event in New York, he characterized ongoing tariff disputes with Europe as a distraction from what he views as a necessary geopolitical bargain.

“You want us to pay for your defense? Guess what? You’re going to go back to work,” Griffin said, according to his remarks at the event. He described current French restrictions on working hours as “ridiculous” and incompatible with American taxpayers continuing to shoulder the bulk of Western military costs.

The Pentagon was awarded more than $1 trillion in funding earlier this year, pushing U.S. defense spending to between 3.1% and 3.4% of GDP. France, which allocates roughly 2% of its GDP to the military, plans to increase its defense budget to €63.4 billion ($71 billion) by 2027, according to Politico. President Trump has repeatedly pressured G7 allies to close that gap since returning to office.

Griffin’s prescription—more hours worked equals stronger economies capable of self-defense—clashes with productivity data. A study by Charlie Giattino, Esteban Ortiz-Ospina, and Max Roser for Our World in Data found that Norway generated nearly $99,000 in GDP per capita in 2023 while employees worked an average of just 1,412 hours annually. U.S. workers logged 1,789 hours to produce less than $73,000 per capita.

French labor culture includes “les grandes vacances,” a widespread practice where workers take extended leave in July or August from their legally mandated five weeks of annual vacation. Essential service and hospitality workers typically remain on the job during these months.

Beyond pressuring allies, Griffin outlined a domestic agenda centered on technology and immigration. “We need more oars in the water, we need more focus on nuclear fusion … we need more focus on robotics,” he said, calling for data centers to be built exclusively in the U.S. and urging the administration to recruit top global talent. “Every single brilliant person around the world. I want them to live in America.”