Unemployment peaks at 8.7% in France, yet many jobs remain unfilled. 156,300 positions—equivalent to 1.2%—were available at the end of the second quarter of 2018, announced the Ministry of Labor.
The service sector and industry lead in vacant jobs
In absolute numbers, the sectors with the most job vacancies are the commercial services (100,754 positions available), industry (31,458), manufacturing industry (29,969), specialized, scientific, and technical activities (18,520), information and communication (11,584), and hospitality and catering (11,392).
These figures correspond to the results of the “Labor Demand” survey, published by Pôle emploi in April 2018.
To what extent are the unemployed truly seeking work?
This question regularly stirs public debate in France, with some not hesitating to criticize welfare or the excessive weight of social aid.
A study by Pôle emploi provides an initial answer. Pôle emploi concludes that 88% of job seekers subject to random checks justified their job search or were re-engaged.
In the study in question, Pôle emploi focused on randomly controlled job seekers (a sample deemed representative). It is important to recall that actively and continuously looking for a job is among the conditions required for eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits.
In short, job seekers who are eligible for benefits are more often actively seeking work than those who are not eligible.
