Temporary employment across France increased by +2.3% in May 2014, compared with a year ago, according to the latest figures from the French Association of Employment Agencies, Prism’Emploi. This follows declines of -1% in April, -2% in March, -2.4% in February, and -2.7% in January 2014. 

However, despite the noticeable improvement, Prism’Emploi cautioned against using it as an indicator of recovery. Temporary recruitment in May 2013 was at a particularly low level, and despite the year-on-year improvement, temporary recruitment in May 2014 remains historically weak.

The number of unskilled blue collar workers increased by +12.2% during May, compared with last year. The number of managers and executives increased by +9.6%, followed by white collar workers at +6%. The number of skilled blue collar workers, however, decreased by -9.9%, year-on-year.

For the second consecutive month, Construction was the only sector to report a decline (-12.4%) in the number of temporary workers during May 2014. Increases were reported in the Services (+6.6%), Retail (+6.4%), Transport (+4.6%), and the Industrial (+4%) sectors. 

Of the 21 French regions, 11 reported year-on-year growth in the number of temporary workers. The strongest increases were reported in Alsace (+10%), Upper (Haute) Normandy (+9.9%), and Limousin (+8.4%). The Mid-Pyrenees and Province-Alpes-Cote D’Azur regions reported the sharpest falls, of -5.3% and -3.2%, respectively.

Between January and May 2014, 10 regions reported year-on-year growth in the number of temporary workers. The strongest growth was reported in Auvergne (+6.6%), followed by Upper (Haute) Normandy (+5.5%) and Limousin (+5.4%). The sharpest declines were reported in Languedoc-Roussillon (-7%) and Province-Alpes-Cote D’Azur (-6.7%). 

The Prism’Emploi Barometer is prepared by an independent third party, Umanis, and based on statistics reported by a panel of temporary employment agencies representing more than 80% of temporary employment in France. 

Figures released today by the Ministry of Labour, Employment, and Social Dialogue reveal that there were 517,400 temporary workers in Q1 2014 across France, a fall of -4.8% compared with the previous quarter. The quarter-on-quarter decline follows an increase of +4.4% between Q3 and Q4 2013.

Declines in the number of jobs were reported across all sectors; industrial (-1.5%), construction (-10.4%), and the services sector (-5.3%). The average duration of temporary work contracts, however, increased by +2.2% to 1.8 weeks.