The Living France Guide To Finding Job

For many people moving to France, earning a living is a key consideration. Kate McNally gives an overview of the job market and offers advice on how to find employment in France

- Kate McNally

Following the UK’s recent decision to leave the EU, there may well be changes which will affect British expats in France – seeking employment is likely to be one of them. With exit negotiations expected to take at least two years once Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty is triggered, the rights of British expats to seek employment in France continue to remain valid at the current time.

A 35-hour week, five weeks’ annual leave and numerous bank holidays might lead you to think that working in France is a doddle, but the reality is a little different. A formal and hierarchical approach, over-emphasis on qualifications, limited opportunity to move up or across the ladder, high employer taxes, plus multiple unions, all add up to a fairly stultified employment sector which Hollande’s recent controversial reforms to work laws may help to loosen up a bit.

However, needs must, and if you haven’t recently inherited from a wealthy aunt then the chances are you will need to find a job in France. In which case, let us try to make the task a little simpler.

And don’t worry, once you find a job, you’ll soon adjust to the French working style and look forward to all those holidays!

A FEW FUNDAMENTALS

Working practices have evolved considerably over the past decade in many European countries following the global economic crisis, but France has for a long time now had a large section of the workforce employed on temporary or seasonal contracts.

Basically, there are two predominant types of work contracts in France – the CDI (contrat à durée indéterminée), similar to the standard UK permanent job contract, and the fixed-term contract CDD (contrat à durée déterminée).