Temporary employment in France decreased by 4.1% in December 2014, compared with the same month in 2013, according to the latest figures from Prism’Emploi, the French Association of Employment Agencies.

The December decline marks the sharpest year-on-year drop in temporary employment in a single month during 2014, following decreases of 2.7% in November and 2.9% in October. During 2014, May and June were the only two months to report an increase in temporary employment when compared with the same month the previous year.

There were 18.4% fewer skilled blue-collar workers in temporary jobs during December 2014, compared with December 2013. The number of white-collar workers declined during the month by 1%.

In contrast, however, the number of unskilled blue-collar workers increased by 5.1%, while managers and executives rose by 2.8%, year-on-year.

Transportation was the only sector to report an increase in the number of temporary workers in December, up 1.6% from last year. The sharpest decline was reported by the Construction sector (23%), followed by more moderate declines in the Industrial (1.2%), Services (2.5%), and Retail (3%) sectors.       

Of the 21 French regions, only four reported an increase in temporary worker numbers during December. The strongest growth was reported in Haute (Upper) Normandy (7.8%), followed by Languedoc-Roussillon (5.2%), Nord-Pas-De-Calais (2.7%), and Limousin (1.5%).

The strongest decreases were in Poitou-Charentes (10.7%), Centre (9.2%), and the Mid Pyrenees (8.9%). 

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