FX.co ★ France Private Payroll Employment Up Slightly

In the second quarter of 2025, private payroll employment in France experienced a modest increase of 0.2%, translating to 43,400 additional jobs, bringing the total to 21.03 million. This growth marked a slight recovery from the 0.1% decline observed in the first quarter and exceeded both market forecasts and initial estimates, which had anticipated stagnant growth. The agriculture sector recorded the most notable job gains with a 0.4% rise. When examining employment by age group, trends indicated stability among individuals aged 15–29, near stability for those aged 30–54, and a significant upsurge of 0.9% among persons aged 55 and older. On an annual scale, private payroll employment saw a minor decrease of 0.1%, equating to a loss of 27,900 jobs. Nonetheless, employment levels remained considerably above those observed before the pandemic at the end of 2019, showcasing an overall increase of 5.5%, or approximately 1.1 million additional jobs.