EuWorkers French workplace may have more stable permanent jobs than many of its counterparts in other advanced economies, but it is not immune to the broader trend towards job precarity. A recent France Strategie study shows that there has been a proliferation of non-permanent employment forms since the mid-1980s, ranging from freelance or contract work to neo-artisan tradespeople who typically have only one client.

The Rise of Temporary Employment: Impact on the French Economy

The study examines how this shift has taken place and reveals that the traditional distinction between stable permanent contracts on the one hand and precarious temporary contracts on the other is no longer valid. For example, the authors cite government statistics that show that the majority of butchers and bakers now have permanent contracts as large retail chains and hypermarkets have replaced many mom-and-pop shops. Woodworkers, furniture makers and executives have also more often secured permanent positions as industrial-scale manufacturing has replaced much of the country’s smaller craft tradespeople (petites artisans).

For those who do not secure a permanent position, there are a variety of different employment contracts available. The most common is a contrat d’emploi permanent (CDI), which guarantees a certain permanence of employment and can only end if the worker decides to resign, give up their job or be dismissed by their employer. In addition, workers on a CDD can be paid an indemnity when their contract comes to an end and is not followed by another job.

This is referred to as the prime de précarite (literally a bonus of precarity). In addition, workers on a CDD are entitled to a termination indemnity at the end of their assignment that is calculated at 10% of the total gross remuneration paid for the contract.