Jobs in France: These key sectors are actively recruiting

The work sectors in France that are predicted to recruit the most in 2024 have been detailed in a new report.

It comes at a time when employment rates have stagnated slightly after several years of falling unemployment.

President Emmanuel Macron has said that he wants to reach full employment in the country by the end of his term in 2027.

Read more: France sets its sights on full employment

Figures from France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi) show that the unemployment rate fell by 19,400 (-0.6%) in the fourth quarter of 2023, to an average of 3.033 million over one year. National statistics bureau Insee states that in the third quarter of 2023, the unemployment rate stood at 7.4%.

Figures show that more than half of jobs in France - 53% - were filled in 2023 without being advertised to the public. These are likely to have been filled via social and real-life networks and word-of-mouth recommendations.

For recruitment in 2024 the report, compiled by the newspaper Le Parisien-Aujourd’hui en France in partnership with FranceInfo and the recruitment agency Randstad France, found:

Most likely sectors to recruit are:

• Aerospace, the number one sector. Groups such as Thales, Safran, Dassault, and Airbus are among the largest recruiters in this field.
• Power station renovation, including the construction of new reactors.
• Arms industry and manufacture, as the tense geopolitical situation is fuelling a boom.
• ‘Green’ jobs, including waste sorting, wind power and renovation.

Less likely sectors to recruit are:

• Construction and public works sectors are considered less likely to recruit this year, said Randstad.

Read also: France’s property market sees greatest fall in sales for 50 years
Read also: French property sales plummet but not prices, says major agency

Geographical differences in jobs on offer

There are some notable differences across the country. For example:

• Pays de la Loire. The region is considered to be at the cutting edge of shipbuilding; in Saint-Nazaire, Chantiers de l'Atlantique - one of the world's largest shipyards - is currently offering 400 long-term work contracts.
• Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Here the solar panel industry is booming, and manufacturers are becoming so central to the industry's economy that some are setting up their own schools for the children of employees.
• Lyon. The video game industry here is among the largest generators of jobs.

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