The Major Transformations of the French Labour Market Since the Early 1960s

Abstract

[eng] This paper looks at the major changes in the French labour market since the 1960s. Over this period, the labour force has steadily increased, primarily owing to demo¬graphics (the post war baby boom). The labour force also saw increasing female employment, higher qualifications and a reduction in the length of working life at both ends. Three factors have driven changes in labour market trends in the last 50 years: economic globalisation, the emergence of ICT and development of automation, and the growth of the service economy, particularly financial services. For their part, employment policies have sought to “enrich” the employment content of growth. After the 1974 break in the growth trend, the interaction of labour supply and demand led to rising unemployment and increasing diversity in employ¬ment statuses. The growth of short term and very short term contracts, as well as arrange¬ments falling between salaried and non salaried employment, illustrate a significant increase in employment precariousness.