Strong growth in the number of cross-border workers commuting to Switzerland and Luxembourg

In 2015, more than 360,000 people living in border regions in France were working close to the border in a neighbouring country.

Between 2010 and 2015, in France’s border territories, the overall development of employment was more favourable abroad than in France, except in Spain and Italy.

The economic dynamism of neighbouring countries, such as Luxembourg, Switzerland and Monaco, together with the salaries on offer, act as an incentive for workers living close to the French border to travel to those countries for work. In these countries, the share of French cross-border employees is elevated in the vicinity of the borders (28% in the Canton of Geneva, for example).

Although there has been job growth in Germany and Belgium, the flow of cross-border workers into these countries, which focus more heavily on the industrial sectors, is less significant. The numbers crossing the Rhine are decreasing.

Some border regions of France attract residents as a result of the cross-border employment potential. However, with the exception of those located around Lake Geneva, they rarely benefit from any positive effects in terms of employment.