French payroll employment increased by 1.2% in Q2 2021

According to the report from Insee, between the end of March and the end of June 2021, private payroll employment increased by 1.2%, or 239,500 net job creations. It increased for the second consecutive quarter, after +0.5% (or +91,400 jobs) in the previous quarter. Overall, by mid-2021, private payroll employment returned to its pre-crisis level at the end of 2019. Nevertheless, the situation differs from one sector to another: some sectors are above their pre-crisis level (construction and non-market services) while others remain below (industry and market services).

In Q2 2021, temporary employment increased again, by 2.4% after +0.7% in the first quarter of 2021 (+17,900 after +4,900 jobs). These increases are much more moderate than those of the previous quarters (+22.1%, +23.0% and +5.2% in the second, third and fourth quarters of 2020, i.e. a total of +273,500 jobs). However, temporary employment thus remains below its pre-crisis level: in June 2021, it is 2.4% below its end of 2019 level (that is −19,100 jobs).

Excluding temporary work, private payroll employment increased by 1.2% (+221,600 jobs).

Industrial employment (excluding temporary workers) increased in the second quarter of 2021 after remaining almost stable in the previous quarter: +0.3% in Q2 2021 (or +9,200 jobs after +1,400). It had fallen by 1.9% over the whole year of 2020 (−57,700 jobs). Industrial employment thus remains significantly below its pre-crisis level: −1.5% (or −47,100 jobs) compared to the level measured at the end of 2019.

In non temporary market services, private payroll employment increased again significantly: +1.7% after +0.4% in the previous quarter (that is +195,900 after +46,800 jobs). This sector has been strongly affected by the health restrictions, with a 2.4% drop in payroll employment over the whole year of 2020 (or −279,300 jobs). By mid-2021, employment in the sector remains below its end of 2019 pre-crisis level, by 0.3% (−36,500 jobs).