12 June 2018

2018- n° 151

In Q1 2018, payroll employment slowed down in the private business sector and stabilized in public service Payroll employment - first quarter 2018

In Q1 2018, net payroll job creation reached 48,800, that is an increase of +0.2% after an increase of +0.4% in the previous quarter. Almost stable in the public sector, payroll employment increased by 47,700 in the private sector. Year on year, it rose by 288,200 net jobs (+1.2%): 301,200 jobs were created in the private sector and 13,000 jobs were destroyed in the public service.

Payroll employment stabilized in industry in Q1 2018 (that is 0.0%, after +0.2%), showing nonetheless a year on year increase (+5,600).

The growth of payroll employment in construction continued, but at a slower pace than in the previous quarter : +3,600 (that is +0.3%), after +12,100 in the previous quarter (that is +0.9%). Year on year, the increase reached +25,600 jobs (that is +1.9%).

In Q1 2018, payroll employment increased by 39,100, that is +0.3%, after +0.8% in the previous quarter. Year on year, the market service sector as a whole supported the large majority of net jobs creations of payroll employment: +252,500, that is +2.1%.

Temporary employment slowed down sharply in Q1 2018: it rose by 4,500 jobs i.e. +0.5% after +4.9% in Q4 2017. Over a year, it increased very sharply: +90,200, that is +12.4%. Employment in services excluding temporary work increased steadily again in Q1 2018: +34,600 jobs (i.e. +0.3 %, after +0.5%). Over a year, the market service sector excluding temporary work expanded by 162,300 jobs (+1.4%).

Employment in mainly non-market services slightly increased in Q1 2018: 3,900, after −4,900 in the previous quarter. This slight upturn was mainly due to the public service almost stabilizing (+1,100 jobs) after two quarters of decline (-7,500 in the last quarter of 2017). Over a year, mainly non-market services almost stabilized (+1,200 of which +14,900 in the private sector and −13 700 in public service).

Compared to the employment estimate published on 13 March 2018, net job creation of Q4 2017 has been revised upwards by 34,600, from +0.3% to +0.4%, mainly due to temporary employment which was revised up by +22,600. The methodological improvements brought to the delineation of the field of temporary employment led to slightly increase levels over the long term, without any noticeable effect on evolutions before 2016.

Compared to the flash estimate focused on the private sector published on 15 May 2018, net job creation in Q1 2018 has been revised downwards by 10,200, especially due to the market services.