Should "instead" be followed by a comma

[gmatrant]

During the past decade, the labor market in France has not been operating according to free market principles, but instead stifling functioning through its various government regulations restricting the hiring and firing of workers.


principles, but instead stifling functioning through its various government regulations restricting the hiring and firing of workers

principles, instead it has been functioning in a stifled manner as a result of various government regulations that restrict the hiring and firing of workers

principles, rather functioning despite being stifled as a result of government regulations that variously restrict worker hiring and firing

principles; the hiring and firing of workers is restricted there by various government regulations, its functioning being stifled

principles; instead, its functioning has been stifled by various government regulations restricting the hiring and firing of workers

The official answer is B. Can I have a sentence
"Instead it has been functioning in a stifled manner as a result of various government regulations that restrict the hiring and firing of workers".
Shouldn't the above sentence have a COMMA between Instead and "it has been....." .

[jnelson0612]

Actually, the correct answer is E. Let us know if that solves the problem. Here's another thread about this problem: sc-during-the-past-decade-the-labor-market-in-france-t5227.html

[gmatrant]

Actually, the correct answer is E. Let us know if that solves the problem. Here's another thread about this problem: sc-during-the-past-decade-the-labor-market-in-france-t5227.html

My bad the official answer is E. My issue still remains though, in B shouldn't instead be followed by a COMMA? Would it be right just to have a sentence
"Instead it has been functioning in a stifled manner as a result of various government regulations that restrict the hiring and firing of workers"
where in the sentence doesn't have a comma after instead.

[tim]

i think if "instead" is followed by an independent clause, we should have a comma following it, as we see in the correct answer..