Though France suffers from some serious labor shortages, the country’s unemployment rate is high, especially among male immigrants (20% versus 9% for locals).   Immigrants who are not EU citizens are not allowed to work as pharmacists, midwives, airline pilots, architects, and in at least 46 more professions and occupations. 

The French usually identifies the immigrant population with social problems such as higher crime rates and lower school standards, and there is still considerable prejudice against foreign workers with religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds different from the French majority.  The newly elected French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, has also promised tougher immigration rules which will effect prospects for jobs in France . 

The prices of goods are lower  in France than in the UK. You can get the best bargains when you shop in supermarkets and hypermarkets, but the small specialty shops still offer quality products at reasonable prices. Medical and health care in France was rated by the WHO to be the world’s best in 2004.  The public health care system reimburses 70% of the medical expenses of French residents. You may have to take out additional health insurance to pay the remaining 30%.

In general, French state education is as good as or better than other European countries. Schools are generally well organized and subsidized. Real estate is still reasonably priced, with a three-bedroom house and swimming pool in a good location in Dordogne going for 100,000 to 250,000 pounds. The public transport system is fast and efficient and cheap. Parks, museums and public areas are generally well kept and attractive. There is little crime.

One of the musts of moving to France is to learn the language. You can get a tutor, enrol in a language school, self-study, or jump in and learn French from the natives. You have to decide which method or combination of methods best suit your needs.

Job Prospects in France

The French are looking for good plumbers and house painters and are trying desperately to get young people to train in these trades. However, experts say that the unemployed people cannot or do not want to go where the jobs are.

In France, 70% of the jobs are in the service sector: government-provided services and market services in the hotel, catering, wholesale and retail trade, and banking industries. Wholesale and retail trade alone provides more than 2.5 million jobs. France has one of the most highly developed big retail businesses in the world with hypermarkets, superstores and specialist stores as Carrefour and Auchan.

France is the leading destination for tourists in the world and nearly two million people work in direct, indirect and induced jobs related to the tourism industry. The greatest growth of new jobs in the service industry is related to new technology notably mobile phones (38.6 million subscribers) and the Internet (8.9 million individual Internet access accounts).  The construction and civil engineering industry provides 1.2 million direct jobs and the same number of indirect jobs. In general, the number of manufacturing jobs has shrunk. Modernization of agricultural production has kept agriculture-related job creation to low levels.

Typical Salaries and Benefits in France

The minimum wage in France is the highest within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).  The median annual salaries are 42,959 euros in Paris; 38,186 in Lyon; 42,959 in Nice; 22,195 in Nantes; and 40,095 in Grenoble. The unemployment rate is consistently high, but so is the rate of productivity. Government is trying to encourage older workers to stay in their jobs longer but workers are retiring earlier, just before they reach the age of sixty, although they have one of the world’s longest life expectancies.

France has legislated a 35-hour workweek. However, most professionals still work 40+ hours per week, and regular Saturday work has increased for manual and administrative employees.  Annual paid vacation leave ranges from almost 5 weeks in private firms, 5.17 weeks in the public sector, and 6.71 weeks in schools and universities.

Basic Data on Taxes in France

The French government has instituted changes in taxation that have benefited expatriates. In 2005 it allowed expatriates who are French tax residents to choose either the flat rate (16%) or progressive tax rate (0-48.09%) when paying tax on their European source incomes. The flat rate is usually better for people with high incomes since they would otherwise be taxed at a rate higher than 16%. If you are a property owner then you will have to pay property and residential taxes at the local levels. Taxes vary according to the size of the real estate property and to the particular locality, but as a whole, taxes are higher in cities and lower in rural areas. 

High Demand Jobs in France

The majority of French industry sectors experienced an increase in the number of online job vacancies, followed by the production, manufacturing, maintenance and repair sectors. The sales industry on the other hand experienced a decrease in online available positions.  The demand for blue and white-collar workers increased as a whole, except for skilled agricultural and fishery workers.

Immigration and Visa Issues in France

Citizens of EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland face no restrictions in working in France.  Others have to get the appropriate visa, residence card and work permit to be able to enter, work and live in the country. Top executives hired by French companies that are 20% owned by an international group, and who have worked for the latter for more than a year can get all necessary papers in three weeks. The international group must have been in business for three years and have share capital in excess of 400,000 euros. Non-EU employees who are relocated by their companies to France have to secure a long-stay visa, a work permit and a residence card marked employee.

Best Job Locations in France

The Val d’Oise area has more than one million inhabitants, with an average age of 36.4 years. The department is outstanding for its record in job creation and in 2003 it topped all other Paris departments for its increase in salaried and industrial jobs. It is a mixture of an urbanized area in the south and vast rural tracts and only a few minutes drive to Paris. It has a well-educated labor force. About 800 international corporations have their offices in the area.

Find Jobs via Websites in France

Careers in Europe

Career Advice gives you guidance and information on working in Europe, finding positions, language skills needed and much more. For each country, you can also find job-hunting tips, CV advice, details of graduate recruiters and useful links for your destination country.
http://www.europe.hobsons.com

Employment opportunities in international organisations

If you are interested in working in a European or international organisation, have a look at this overview of possibilities.
http://www.coe.int/T/E/Human_Resources/jobs

European Employment Services

Visit the EURES site of the European Commission to access information on finding jobs abroad, and living and working conditions in other European countries. You can also find contact details of EURES advisers in your country who can help you.
http://ec.europa.eu/eures/index.jsp