In France, a temporary worker (contrat de travail temporaire) is an employee whose contract expires at the end of each assignment and does not lead to the signing of a new permanent contract. These employees benefit from a “precautionary” compensation payment at the end of each assignment, called the prime de précarite (“prime of precarity”).

Although open-ended contracts (Contrat d’emploi indéterminé or CDI) represent the majority of existing employment contracts, they account for only a limited proportion of hires. The use of fixed-term and short-term contracts has increased over the past years, reflecting a need for labour flexibility.

As a result, people on temporary contracts have a lower likelihood of transition to a stable position and receive less on-the-job training than their counterparts with open-ended contracts. They are also more likely to be the adjustment variable in the event of an economic negative shock. Read more https://euworkers.fr/

Temporary Work in France: Industries and Sectors with High Demand

This phenomenon affects various professions and sectors. For example, a significant proportion of plumbers and carpenters have temporary contracts. In addition, self-employed workers are increasingly common for some professions, such as translators, instructors and researchers. The number of these professionals has grown since 2009, when the French government introduced a special status for independent workers called autoentrepreneur. Its promotion was intended to foster labour flexibility and encourage employment. Meanwhile, large digital platforms have capitalized on this flexible workforce, allowing them to recruit and pay freelancers in minutes. This has led to the emergence of a “gig” economy.