French Private Sector Employment Shows Resilience, Remains Well Above Pre-Pandemic Levels.
Despite a slight dip in the second quarter of 2025, France's private sector has sustained a remarkable trajectory of job growth since late 2019, with one million more jobs in the market today.
Paris, France – Preliminary estimates for the second quarter of 2025 indicate a period of stability in France’s private payroll employment, with a minor decrease of 4,800 jobs. This brings the total number of private sector employees to 20.97 million, a figure that, despite a slight quarterly dip, remains significantly robust and highlights the long-term positive trend in the nation’s labor market.
The recent figures show a slight 0.1% decrease following a similar drop in the previous quarter, a development that contrasted with market expectations of a 0.1% rise. However, a broader perspective reveals a story of impressive resilience and growth. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2019, before the global pandemic, the French private sector has added a substantial 1.0 million jobs, representing a 5.2% increase.
A closer look at the different sectors reveals a varied but generally stable landscape. Employment in the industry and market services sectors remained virtually unchanged, with a minor 0.1% dip in industry and a slight 0.1% gain in market services. Non-market services saw a modest increase of 0.2%.
Conversely, the construction sector continued a downward trend with a 0.5% decline in employment. This aligns with broader challenges faced by the European construction industry, including high costs and weaker demand.
On a yearly basis, private payroll employment saw a 0.4% decrease, equivalent to 93,900 jobs. While this marks a slowdown, the overall employment level continues to hover near its highest points in recent years, underscoring the significant gains made since the pre-pandemic era. The French economy, despite facing headwinds, is showing underlying strength in its labor market.
