Europe has a thriving ecosystem of imaginary companies writes Liz Alderman:

• Imaginary companies such as “Animal Kingdom” in France sell animal food.
• They take into account their revenue, costs, and payroll. All these numbers are made up.
• The imaginary company works with other imaginary companies such as banks and suppliers.
• The companies have real offices, and real people working in them but that’s about the extent of it.
• The imaginary money that each company’s employees make can be spent buying the products of other imaginary companies.
• This ecosystem started as a government initiative to train students and the unemployed and get them used to working in an office environment.
• Since the ongoing Euro problems began they’ve taken a crucial role in fighting long-term unemployment by keeping office skills fresh.
• To fully replicate the European business experience, the companies will sometimes hold strikes complete with placards and upset employees.
• The fake companies are successful. Up to 70% of those who go through it in France go on to find a job.

Read more about the World War 2 roots of these companies, how the real workers feel about working in a fake company, and more over here.

Source: The New York Times

Via: Marginal Revolution