Work conditions in France

The Active Population in Figures

	2018	2019	2020
Labour Force	30,438,691	30,385,859	30,033,626

Source: International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database

Source: International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database

Employed Persons, by Occupation (% of Total Labour Force)	2015
Human health and social work activities	14.7%
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	12.8%
Manufacturing	12.2%
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	9.2%
Education	7.6%
Construction	6.4%
Professional, scientific and technical activities	5.7%
Transportation and storage	5.6%
Administrative and support service activities	3.8%
Accommodation and food service activities	3.8%
Financial and insurance activities	3.3%
Information and communication	2.8%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	2.7%
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1.7%
Real estate activities	1.5%
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	0.7%
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	0.7%
Mining and quarrying	0.1%

For Further Statistics: INSEE statistics on work
For Further Information About the Labour Market: ILO, International Labour Organisation
Studies and research of the Ministry of Employment

Legal Weekly Duration: 35 hours
Retirement Age: 67 years of age, but as soon as the employee has paid enough into the compulsory retirement scheme, she/he can leave her/his job any time after age 62.
Working Contracts: The permanent contract (CDI) is the type of contract which is most often used.
The fixed-term contract (CDD) makes it possible to employ temporary workers.
The Contrat Nouvelle Embauche (New Hiring Contract) is a new form of CDI where the rules for breach of contract are more flexible for employers during the first two years in exchange for the payment of a 10% indemnity for the employee.
Labour Laws: Consult the Doing Business Website, to obtain a summary of the labour regulations that apply to local entreprises.

Minimum Wage: In 2022, the minimum gross monthly wage is € 1,603.12 according to Service Public (lastest available data).
Average Wage: In 2020, the average net annual wage reached € 29,070 according to INSEE (latest available data).
Social Contributions: Social Security Contributions Paid By Employers: Employer contribution varies depending on the size, type and location of businesses to about 50% of gross pay.
Social Security Contributions Paid By Employees: About 20% of the gross wage

Social Dialogue and Involvement of Social Partners: In France negotiations take place at the national, sectorial and company levels. French labour law provides an extensive institutional role for employee representatives and for organised labour. Strikes are common in France and are part of the social fabric.
Unions: The CGT, general labour confederation
The CFDT, French democratic labour confederation
FO, workers' union
The CFTC, French Christian workers' confederation
The CFE-CGC, management confederation-general confederation of managers
The UNSA, national union of autonomous unions
Unionisation Rate: Today 8% of French employees belong to a union (5% in the private sector and 14% in the public sector). That is twice as few as 25 years ago, yet the unions remain strong and active.
Labour Regulation Bodies: The Ministry of Labour, Employment, Professional Training and Social Dialogue