Employment: Are 215,000 jobs really vacant in France?

“We’ve got seen for a number of weeks […] let the financial system choose up. She leaves properly, she leaves sturdy. There are job alternatives each month, each quarter. I consider there are 215,000 vacant jobs “, launched this Wednesday on BFMTV the federal government spokesperson, Gabriel Attal, welcoming these “alternatives” in a large number of industries. Can we confirm this determine? Sure, particularly since it’s current and communicated by a dependable supply: the Dares. Nonetheless, it is crucial to not overinterpret it.

Affiliated with the Ministry of Labor, the Directorate for the Animation of Analysis, Research and Statistics (Dares) is the reference establishment when it’s desired to have information referring to the labor market. It’s moreover her that Gabriel Attal quotes with out naming her in his speech. On June 16, just some days in the past, she communicated on the official figures for the primary quarter of 2021, and indicated that “214,900 jobs are vacant”, i.e. a rise of “10% in comparison with the 4th quarter of 2020”. The federal government spokesperson subsequently makes use of current and dependable information that’s straightforward to confirm.

Within the context of a brief interview, nevertheless, it’s tough to current intimately the peculiarities of this rely. Nonetheless, you will need to present some particulars to higher perceive it. Initially, it needs to be remembered that such a determine doesn’t solely designate out there, instantly accessible positions. “The so-called ‘vacant’ jobs, or ‘vacant positions’, are vacant positions, newly created or unoccupied, or nonetheless occupied and about to turn out to be vacant, for which energetic steps are taken to seek out the appropriate candidate”, specifies the Dares. These positions which can turn out to be out there, however which stay crammed symbolize a non-negligible half, 22%, whereas these newly created account for 30%.

Specialists see on this determine one “photograph of a inventory of jobs to be crammed”, which one can’t essentially assimilate to long-term unfilled provides, to which the long-term unemployed may naturally flip. As well as, you will need to be aware that the information shared by the Dares come from the quarterly Labor Exercise and Employment Circumstances (Acemo) survey. Whereas it’s necessary for employers to answer it, which ensures a sure theoretical exhaustiveness of the outcomes, it needs to be famous that solely corporations with 10 or extra workers are involved. A small household bakery which might search to recruit a salesman and a saleswoman and would solely have 5 individuals would subsequently be off the radar. A possible bias that Dares acknowledges, whereas specifying that it nonetheless manages to cowl a big majority of the positions to be crammed.

In his remarks, Gabriel Attal presents the determine of 215,000 vacant jobs in a reasonably optimistic method, seeing it as an encouraging financial sign. Ought to we see it that method, or somewhat remorse that provides are struggling to persuade candidates? To search out out, LCI contacted sociologist Claire Vivès, member of the Middle for Employment and Labor Research (CEET), a transversal program of the Nationwide Conservatory of Arts and Crafts (Cnam). A specialist within the labor market, she believes that greater than the numbers, “now we have to rely extra on developments”.

The so-called jobs “vacant” are in his eyes above all an indicator “which says nothing concerning the habits of the unemployed”, however permits to evaluate the dynamism of the exercise. “We have a tendency to think about that when the emptiness charge rises, that is accompanied by a restoration in employment”, she slips. A place that matches that of the economist Mathieu Aircraft, member of the OFCE and who there saw in 2019 “the consequence of a dynamic labor market”. He recalled in passing that “When you’ve gotten created a job, there’s a recruitment section to seek out the fitting particular person. The job stays vacant throughout this section.”

The variety of vacant positions, additionally notes Claire Vivès, deserves to be put in context and analyzed in keeping with the specificities of the labor market. If the overwhelming majority of the provides provided are everlasting contracts, their quantity will essentially be diminished. The rise in vacant positions, on the rise almost continuous since 2013, have to be noticed with regard to a French particularity, the place the usage of quick contracts is huge. “Let’s not overlook the variety of annual hires, over 20 million!”, recollects the sociologist. Who says a number of quick contracts, essentially says vacant positions in giant numbers earlier than discovering takers.

Contacted by LCI, the Dares additionally attracts consideration to a different indicator, which it considers complementary. These are the “tensions within the labor market”, usually studied and which show the trades and sectors the place hiring is essentially the most tough. They reveal themselves “significantly sturdy within the constructing trade, the place hiring initiatives are very quite a few, in addition to in trade, the place the pool of candidates is small”, be aware l’establishment. “In these two areas, the tensions are much more marked for essentially the most certified employees and technicians.”

Claire Vivès additionally cites the catering sector, which usually suffers from a scarcity of attractiveness, and even that of shifting. Jobs that usually have widespread factors, whether or not these are tough working circumstances, low salaries or the required ranges of qualification excluding a majority of potential candidates.

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