French Mayor Apologizes for April Fool's Joke About 4,000 New IKEA Jobs
The mayor of the French town of Beauvais has apologized for saying in an April Fool's joke that IKEA would be building a store in a new business park in the town, bringing 4,000 jobs. Mayor Caroline Cayeux blamed what she called a "communication error" for the joke she posted on her Twitter and Facebook accounts on April 1st, which drew an angry backlash.
Cayeux told Le Parisien newspaper, "It was not mean, it was mostly a nod to IKEA that we would like to see happen in Beauvais. Except that many Beauvaisians have seen a promise of employment, and have not really appreciated the joke."