French employer recruitment difficulties ease to 43.8% in 2026
Employer recruitment difficulties in France ease to 43.8% in 2026 amid labor market adjustments.
Event / Economy
France Job Recruitment Decline
France Travail survey reveals French company recruitment intentions declining 6.5% in 2026 to 2.27 million projects, the lowest level since 2018, with significant sectoral disparities and a shift toward short-term employment contracts.
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2026-08-18 to 2026-11-15 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 21 Apr, 11:07 UTC
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What happened
French recruitment intentions decline 6.5% in 2026 compared to 2025
According to a France Travail survey published in early 2026, French company recruitment intentions decreased by 6.5% in 2026 relative to 2025. The survey was conducted between October and December 2025 among 1.77 million establishments, with responses from over 416,000 entities. The survey was conducted before the Middle East conflict escalation and energy price increases.
Construction sector shows steepest recruitment decline at 16.4%
The construction sector experienced the most significant decline in recruitment intentions at 16.4%, followed by business services declining by 10.1%. These sectoral declines were part of the broader 6.5% overall decrease in French recruitment intentions.
Establishments planning to hire in France slightly contract to 23.3%
The proportion of establishments planning to recruit in 2026 contracted slightly from 24.1% in 2025 to 23.3% in 2026. This reflects a broader slowdown in French hiring plans across the economy.
Permanent employment contracts decline as short-term contracts increase
The proportion of permanent employment contract (CDI) intentions fell from 43.8% in 2025 to 41% in 2026. Long-term temporary contracts (CDD of 6 months or more) decreased from 19.5% to 17.2%, while short-term contracts (less than 6 months) increased from 36.7% to 41.8%.
French recruitment projects fall to 2.27 million, lowest level since 2018
The number of recruitment projects in France declined from 2.428 million in 2025 to 2.27 million in 2026, representing the lowest level since 2018. This represents a decrease of 158,000 projects and a decline of 764,400 from the 2023 peak of 3.04 million projects.
French recruitment difficulties decline to 43.8% in 2026
The proportion of recruitment projects deemed difficult decreased by 6.3 percentage points compared to 2025, falling to 43.8%. This decline affected all sectors except real estate activities, which increased by 1.7 points. Financial services and insurance showed the largest decline in difficulties at 14.1 percentage points.
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2 alternative perspectives
France shifts toward short-term contracts amid recruitment decline
France's labor market is shifting from permanent to short-term employment contracts.
French Recruitment Plans Drop Sharply Across Multiple Sectors
French recruitment intentions drop 6.5%, reaching lowest hiring levels since 2018 across sectors.