Informations Rapides ·
30 October 2026 · n° 265
In Q3 2026, private payroll employment was virtually stable over the quarter (-0.1%)
and declined over the year (-0.3%) Flash estimate of payroll employment - third quarter 2026
Between June and September 2026, private payroll employment was virtually stable (-0.1% that is -25,800 jobs), as in the previous quarter (-0.1% that is -24,300 jobs). It was below its Q3 2025 level by 0.3% (that is -69,800 jobs), decreasing year on year for the seventh consecutive quarter. Compared with Q1 2024, when private payroll employment peaked, it declined by 0.7% (that is -148,400 jobs). It far exceeded its pre-pandemic level (end of Q4 2019) by 4.9% (that is +982,100 jobs).
Over the quarter, work-study contracts was a major factor in the decline in private payroll employment.
- In Q3 2026, private payroll employment was virtually stable over the quarter (-0.1%) and was below its Q3 2025 level by 0.3%
- Temporary employment increased anew
- Excluding temporary work, private payroll decreased slightly in industry and declined again in agriculture and construction
- Excluding temporary work, private payroll employment was virtually stable in market services
- For more information
In Q3 2026, private payroll employment was virtually stable over the quarter (-0.1%) and was below its Q3 2025 level by 0.3%
Between June and September 2026, private payroll employment was virtually stable (-0.1% that is -25,800 jobs), as in the previous quarter (-0.1% that is -24,300 jobs). It was below its Q3 2025 level by 0.3% (that is -69,800 jobs), decreasing year on year for the seventh consecutive quarter. Compared with Q1 2024, when private payroll employment peaked, it declined by 0.7% (that is -148,400 jobs). It far exceeded its pre-pandemic level (end of Q4 2019) by 4.9% (that is +982,100 jobs).
Over the quarter, work-study contracts was a major factor in the decline in private payroll employment.
tableauVariation in private payroll employment
| Total | Construction | Market services | Industry | Non-market services | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-Q3 | -25.8 | -6.1 | -3.2 | -6.4 | -4.3 |
| 2026-Q2 | -24.3 | -6.7 | -8.9 | -2.6 | 2.2 |
| 2026-Q1 | -7.5 | -7.4 | 2.8 | -3.6 | 6.0 |
| 2025-Q4 | -12.2 | -5.0 | -11.4 | -5.1 | -6.9 |
| 2025-Q3 | -37.0 | -2.5 | -15.6 | -3.9 | 0.0 |
| 2025-Q2 | 5.8 | -4.7 | 19.7 | -9.7 | -2.9 |
| 2025-Q1 | -18.3 | -6.3 | -12.7 | -3.2 | 4.3 |
| 2024-Q4 | -26.6 | -7.1 | -20.7 | -0.7 | 6.3 |
| 2024-Q3 | 18.6 | -6.8 | 7.0 | 1.5 | 10.4 |
| 2024-Q2 | -21.1 | -7.9 | -25.2 | 4.8 | 7.9 |
| 2024-Q1 | 28.4 | -5.0 | 20.9 | 4.9 | 7.4 |
| 2023-Q4 | 9.4 | -3.6 | 8.5 | 6.9 | 7.9 |
| 2023-Q3 | 15.2 | -3.8 | -0.5 | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| 2023-Q2 | 26.6 | -1.7 | 7.0 | 6.6 | 6.5 |
| 2023-Q1 | 43.7 | 0.1 | 33.3 | 9.6 | 1.7 |
| 2022-Q4 | 101.4 | 0.4 | 83.1 | 4.0 | 9.0 |
| 2022-Q3 | 47.0 | 2.0 | 37.9 | 8.4 | 2.7 |
| 2022-Q2 | 36.7 | -1.5 | 35.1 | 5.5 | 5.2 |
| 2022-Q1 | 121.2 | 6.6 | 90.6 | 9.5 | 5.4 |
| 2021-Q4 | 145.9 | 4.3 | 137.1 | 3.9 | -6.2 |
| 2021-Q3 | 212.3 | 9.9 | 184.3 | 8.8 | 10.7 |
| 2021-Q2 | 236.9 | 12.4 | 203.0 | 9.3 | 5.9 |
| 2021-Q1 | 195.0 | 22.4 | 130.4 | 17.9 | 28.2 |
| 2020-Q4 | 33.6 | 15.5 | 1.7 | -4.9 | 16.1 |
| 2020-Q3 | 425.3 | 24.4 | 362.1 | -5.5 | 40.9 |
| 2020-Q2 | -76.7 | 15.2 | -66.8 | -15.4 | -14.5 |
| 2020-Q1 | -471.6 | -3.0 | -449.9 | -5.1 | -7.2 |
| 2019-Q4 | 115.5 | 11.6 | 113.3 | 2.5 | 5.3 |
| 2019-Q3 | 40.7 | 14.6 | 6.1 | -1.4 | 5.2 |
| 2019-Q2 | 26.0 | 12.7 | 5.5 | 7.1 | -0.8 |
| 2019-Q1 | 166.1 | 18.8 | 119.2 | 16.6 | 5.2 |
graphiqueVariation in private payroll employment
- Scope: France excluding Mayotte.
- Source: INSEE, URSSAF, DARES.
Temporary employment increased anew
In Q3 2026, temporary employment increased by 1.3% after -1.0% in the previous quarter (that is +8,900 jobs after -6,700 jobs). Temporary employment was above its Q3 2025 level by 0.2% (that is +1,200 jobs) but still well below its pre-pandemic level (-8.7% that is -67,600 jobs).
As a reminder, in this publication temporary workers are accounted for in the temporary employment sector which pays them (within market services), whichever sector they carry out their assignment (agriculture, industry, construction, services).
Excluding temporary work, private payroll decreased slightly in industry and declined again in agriculture and construction
Between June and September 2026, private payroll employment in agriculture decreased again: it declined by 1.9% (that is -6,000 jobs), after -2.6% in the previous quarter (that is -8,400 jobs). In September 2026, private payroll employment in agriculture was 1.1% below its level at the end of September 2025.
Industrial private payroll employment (excluding temporary work) decreased very slightly in Q3 2026 (-0.2%, that is -6,400 jobs), bringing the year-on-year fall to -0.6% (that is -17,700 jobs). It declined steadily since Q1 2025, but still exceeded its pre-pandemic level (+1.3% that is +41,800 jobs).
In construction, private payroll employment decreased again in Q3 2026: -0.4% (that is -6,100 jobs) as in the previous quarter (-0.4% that is -6,700 jobs), bringing the year-on-year fall to -1.6% (that is -25,200 jobs). It declined steadily since Q3 2023, but still exceeded sharply its pre-pandemic level (+2.3%, that is +34,200 jobs compared to the end of 2019).
Excluding temporary work, private payroll employment was virtually stable in market services
In Q3 2026, in market services, private payroll employment (excluding temporary work) was virtually stable (-0.1%, that is -12,000 jobs). It was just below its Q3 2025 level (-0.2%, that is -21,900 jobs), but exceeded sharply its pre-pandemic level (+7.0%, that is +817,100 jobs).
In non-market services, private payroll employment (excluding temporary work) decreased slightly after a virtuallystability in the previous quarter: -0.2% after +0.1% (that is -4,300 jobs after +2,200 jobs). It was virtually stable over a year (-0.1% that is -3,000 jobs) but exceeded sharply its end of 2019 level (+5.7% that is +149,700 jobs).
tableauPrivate payroll employment change – in thousands
| Change in thousands in 3 months | Change in thousands in 1 year | Change in thousands compared to the end of 2019 | Level | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Q2 | 2026 Q3 | 2026 Q3 | 2026 Q3 | 2026 Q3 | |
| Agriculture | -8.4 | -6.0 | -3.3 | 6.8 | 308.4 |
| Goods-producing industries excl. Construction | -2.6 | -6.4 | -17.7 | 41.8 | 3,170.2 |
| Construction | -6.7 | -6.1 | -25.2 | 34.2 | 1,511.7 |
| Market services | -8.9 | -3.2 | -20.7 | 749.5 | 13,169.0 |
| Temporary employment (*) | -6.7 | 8.9 | 1.2 | -67.6 | 708.3 |
| Excluding temporary work | -2.2 | -12.0 | -21.9 | 817.1 | 12,460.7 |
| Non-market services | 2.2 | -4.3 | -3.0 | 149.7 | 2,771.9 |
| Total Private | -24.3 | -25.8 | -69.8 | 982.1 | 20,931.1 |
- (*) Temporary workers are recorded in services, regardless of the sector in which they carry out their mission effectively.
- How to read it: In Q3 2026, net private job creations in agriculture decreased by 6.000 jobs compared to the previous quarter.
- Scope: private payroll employment; France, excluding Mayotte.
- Sources : URSSAF, INSEE, DARES.
tableauPrivate payroll employment change – in percentage points
| Change in percentage points in 3 months | Change in percentage points in 1 year | Change in percentage points compared to the end of 2019 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Q2 | 2026 Q3 | 2026 Q3 | 2026 Q3 | |
| Agriculture | -2.6 | -1.9 | -1.1 | 2.3 |
| Goods-producing industries excl. Construction | -0.1 | -0.2 | -0.6 | 1.3 |
| Construction | -0.4 | -0.4 | -1.6 | 2.3 |
| Market services | -0.1 | 0.0 | -0.2 | 6.0 |
| Temporary employment (*) | -1.0 | 1.3 | 0.2 | -8.7 |
| Excluding temporary work | 0.0 | -0.1 | -0.2 | 7.0 |
| Non-market services | 0.1 | -0.2 | -0.1 | 5.7 |
| Total Private | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.3 | 4.9 |
- How to read it: In Q3 2026, net private job creations in agriculture decreased by 1.9 % compared to 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: URSSAF, INSEE, DARES.
For more information
Next issue of the detailed estimate for the third quarter of 2026: 27 November 2026 at 8:45 am
Next issue of the flash estimate for the fourth quarter of 2026: 29 January 2027 at 8:45 am
Documentation
Methodology Employment Flash November 2024 (pdf,492 Ko)
Pour en savoir plus