Labour Shortages Grip France Across 38 Occupations, Posing Opportunities for Foreign Workers

France is currently facing a shortage of workers across 38 occupations, spanning various sectors such as construction, healthcare, IT, engineering, agriculture, and manufacturing. Despite a job vacancy rate of 2.4% in 2023, these occupations continue to experience a deficit of skilled workers, according to a report from the European Labour Authority (EURES).

The EURES report identified several occupations as the most sought-after jobs in France. These include accounting and bookkeeping clerks, agricultural and industrial machinery mechanics and repairers, applications programmers, bricklayers, business services and administration managers, among others. The demand for workers in these occupations suggests increased opportunities for employment and obtaining work visas for individuals from foreign countries.

However, not all occupations are in high demand. Some professions, such as authors, building caretakers, cashiers, and journalists, are already in surplus and no longer require foreign talent. This indicates that individuals in these professions may face more challenges in securing employment and work visas in France.

For international applicants seeking employment in France, it is advised to search for jobs within the in-demand occupations and obtain a job offer from a French employer before applying for a work visa. Since April 6, 2021, applications for work permits to hire foreign employees have been conducted online through a dedicated portal. The application process involves several steps, including publishing the job offer, online application for the work permit, confirmation by email, issuance of the work permit, and attachment of the work permit to the visa or residence permit application.

The Ministry of the Interior oversees the process for work permit applications, which includes reviewing employment levels in the relevant profession and region, aligning the applicant’s skills and qualifications with job requirements, ensuring compliance with employment and social protection legislation, and verifying the terms of employment and remuneration. Applicants are also required to have a proposed salary meeting or exceeding the statutory national minimum wage and provide accommodation arrangements provided by the employer for foreign nationals in France.

Click for details: https://eures.europa.eu/living-and-working/labour-market-information/labour-market-information-france_en

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