7 August 2020
2020- n° 202In Q2 2020, private payroll employment decreased by 0.6% (flash estimate) Flash estimate of payroll employment - second quarter 2020
Between the end of March and the end of June 2020, private payroll employment declined by 0.6%, or 119,400 net job losses after already -497,500 in the previous quarter. Over a year, employment fell by 2.5% that is -480,800 jobs. It returns to a level comparable to that of the end of June 2017.
In this publication, the concept of employment refers to the international critera of the International labour organization (ILO). Employment includes both persons who have worked at least one paid hour during a given period, but also persons who have not worked for certain reasons (in particular those on short-time working / temporary lay-off and sick leave). For non-temporary private employment, in order to better take into account the specific economic conditions of the spring 2020, this first flash estimate was made using early data from the June 2020 DSN (“déclaration sociale nominative”), in addition to the business surveys usually used. For temporary employment, the DSN was used according to the usual methodology. The estimate of private paid employment may be revised on the occasion of the detailed publication of paid employment (public and private) for the second quarter of 2020, scheduled for Tuesday 8 September.
In Q2 2020, private payroll employment decreased again sharply: −0,6% after −2,5% in the previous quarter
Between the end of March and the end of June 2020, private payroll employment declined by 0.6%, or 119,400 net job losses after already -497,500 in the previous quarter. Over a year, employment fell by 2.5% that is -480,800 jobs. It returns to a level comparable to that of the end of June 2017.
In the so-called "non-agricultural market" field (industry, construction and market services), payroll employment has been measured in quarterly time series since the end of 1970. In the second quarter of 2020, it fell by 0.6% in this field after -2.8% in the previous quarter, that is -3.4% over the semester. This is the largest half-year decline since the series began. By way of comparison, in the middle of the economic crisis of 2008/2009, “non-agricultural market” payroll employment had fallen by 1.7% between September 2008 and March 2009.
After an unprecedented drop in the first quarter of 2020 (-40.4%), temporary work rebounded in the second quarter: +23.1% or +108,500 jobs. Excluding temporary workers, on the contrary, private payroll employment continues to decline. It dropped by 1.2% (-227,900 jobs) after -0.9% in the first quarter. As a reminder, in this publication, temporary workers are accounted for in the temporary employment sector within market services, whichever sector they carry out their assignment (industry, construction, market or non-market services). In each of these sectors, therefore, a large part of the short-term adjustment to the crisis has went through the drop in recourse to temporary work.
Excluding temporary work, employment dropped in market services
Private payroll employment (excluding temporary workers) in the construction sector increased by 0.3% after -0.4% in the previous quarter (+3,700 jobs after -5,600). It thus practically returned to its pre-crisis level.
Industrial employment (excluding temporary workers) fell again: -0.8% (-24,300 jobs) after -0.4% (-12,100 jobs). Over one year, the decline in industry reached -1.1% that is -35,200 jobs.
In non-temporary market services, private payroll employment contracted sharply again: -1.6% after -1.3% in the previous quarter. The decline in the first half of 2020 cancels out the growth of the last two years and market services employment excluding temporary work thus returns to its level at the end of 2017.
Private employment in non-market services also fell in the quarter (-0.9% or -22,800 jobs) after -0.5% (-13,500 jobs). Over one year, It fell by 1.2% (-30,200 jobs).
Temporary employment rebounded by 23.1% after an unprecedented drop in the previous quarter
During the second quarter of 2020, temporary employment rebounded: +23.1% (or +108,500 jobs) after an historic drop of 40.4% in the previous quarter (or -318,200 jobs). Monthly statistics (see “For more information”) show that temporary employment began to recover as early as May, and is still rising sharply in June, after sharp declines in March and April. By mid-2020, however, it remains 27.1% (or -214,800 jobs) below its level a year earlier.
tableauPrivate payroll employment change – in thousands
| Change in thousands in 3 months | Change in thousands in 1 year | Level | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2020 | 2020 | 2020 | |
| Q1 | Q2 | Q2 | Q2 | |
| Agriculture | -1.4 | -4.4 | -3.1 | 287.9 |
| Goods-producing industries excl. Construction | -12.1 | -24.3 | -35.2 | 3082.6 |
| Construction | -5.6 | 3.7 | 20.2 | 1424.0 |
| Market services | -464.9 | -71.7 | -432.5 | 11866.1 |
| Temporary employment (*) | -318.2 | 108.5 | -214.8 | 578.1 |
| Excluding temporary work | -146.7 | -180.1 | -217.7 | 11288.0 |
| Non-market services | -13.5 | -22.8 | -30.2 | 2468.2 |
| Total Private | -497.5 | -119.4 | -480.8 | 19128.8 |
- How to read it: In Q2 2020, net private job destruction in market services amounted to 71.700 jobs from the previous quarter.
- (*) Temporary workers are recorded in services, regardless of the sector in which they carry out their mission effectively.
- Scope: private payroll employment; France, excluding Mayotte.
- Sources: INSEE and DARES
tableauPrivate payroll employment change – in percentage points
| Change in percentage points in 3 months | Change in percentage points in 1 year | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2020 | 2020 | |
| Q1 | Q2 | Q2 | |
| Agriculture | -0.5 | -1.5 | -1.1 |
| Goods-producing industries excl. Construction | -0.4 | -0.8 | -1.1 |
| Construction | -0.4 | 0.3 | 1.4 |
| Market services | -3.7 | -0.6 | -3.5 |
| Temporary employment (*) | -40.4 | 23.1 | -27.1 |
| Excluding temporary work | -1.3 | -1.6 | -1.9 |
| Non-market services | -0.5 | -0.9 | -1.2 |
| Total Private | -2.5 | -0.6 | -2.5 |
- (*) Temporary workers are recorded in services, regardless of the sector in which they carry out their mission effectively.
- Scope: private payroll employment; France, excluding Mayotte.
- Sources: INSEE and DARES
Documentation
Abbreviated methodology (pdf,264 Ko)
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