In a context of economic uncertainty, prospects for the French staffing industry continue to become increasingly bleak.

The number of temporary workers declined by -11.6% in September to 572,900, a reduction of -75,400 when compared to a year ago, according to the latest statistics from the French job centre, Pôle Emploi.

Once again, unskilled blue collar workers (ouvriers non qualifiés) suffered the most as the category declined by -13.6% compared to September 2011; followed by white collar support staff (employés), skilled blue collar workers and professionals and managers (cadres et professions intermédiaires): -11.1%, -10.6% and -9.1%, respectively, compared with September 2011.

According to Pôle Emploi, all regions saw a decline in temporary workers in September 2012, compared to the same month last year. The industrial North Eastern regions of Champagne-Ardenne, Franche-Comté, and Lorraine dropped by -18.5%, -17.1% and -12.5%, respectively; Languedic-Roussillon dropped by -17.5; and Limousin by -17.4%. The regions that declined the least were Midi-Pyrénées (-5.2%) and Poitou-Charentes (-7.6%). 

On a month-on-month basis, the number of temporary workers in the Construction sector declined by -5.6% in September 2012; the Services sector (Tertiaire) declined by -3.9%; the Industrial sector (Industrie) by -3.3%. Within the Industrial sector, the decline was driven by a -6.7% slump in Manufacturing of transport equipment (Fabrication de matériels de transport).

In October, the French association of employment agencies (Prisme) also reported a decline in the number of temporary workers of –13.4% in September 2012, on a year-on-year basis. 

To read the full report in French, click here.