10 March 2020

2020- n° 60

In Q4 2019, payroll employment accelerated in the private sector and slowed down in public service Payroll employment - fourth quarter 2019

In Q4 2019, net payroll job creation reached 90,800, that is +0.4% after +0.2% in the previous quarter. Payroll employment accelerated in the private sector (+88,800 jobs after +39,900) while it slowed down in the public sector (+2,100 jobs after +9,000). Over a year, it grew by 287,600 (that is +1.1%) : +263,100 in the private sector and +24,400 in public service. This overall increase exceeds that of 2018 (+158,100) but is lower than that of 2017 (335,600).

In Q4 2019, payroll employment remained almost stable in industry: –200 jobs after +1,600. Industrial employment is 10,700 higher than a year earlier (that is +0.3%). Industrial employment returned to growth in 2017.

Payroll employment in construction continued to grow strongly: +10,100 jobs after +10,200 jobs (that is +0.7%, as in the previous quarter). Over a year, the increase reached 45,000 (that is +3.3%). This is the largest annual increase since 2007.

In Q4 2019, payroll employment increased by 68,600 in market services, that is +0.5%, after +0.3% in the previous quarter. Year on year, the market services sector as a whole provided for the large majority of net job creation (+201,000 jobs), more than in 2018 (+126,000).

Temporary employment decreased marginally again: –1,900 jobs in Q4 2019 (-0.2%). Over a year, it declined by 2,700 jobs (that is −0.3%). It declined more sharply in 2018 (-26,700).

Employment in market services excluding temporary work accelerated significantly: +70,500 in Q4 2019 after +34,300 jobs (i.e. +0.6% after +0,3%). Over a year, it expanded by 203,800 jobs (+1.8%).

Payroll employment in mainly non-market services increased moderatly  +11,900 jobs (that is +0.1%), after +2,600 (0.0%). This slight acceleration came essentially from the private sector (+11,000 jobs after –5,200 jobs) while the public sector remained almost stable in Q4 2019 (+900 jobs after +7,800 jobs). Over a year, employment in mainly non-market services increased by 27,700 (+0.3 %) compared to a decrease of 4,900 in the previous year.

Compared to the employment estimate published on 10 december 2019, net job creation (private and public) of Q3 2019 is slightly enhanced (revised by +6,500).

Compared to the flash estimate focused on the private sector published on 7 february 2020, net job creation in Q4 2019 has been revised upwards by 48,100, that is +0.2 points, especially due to market services.