Despite the uncertainty linked to the war in Ukraine, the job market continues to rebound in France.

Executive employment has almost returned to its pre-crisis level in 2021, with 269,100 recruitments, i.e. 4% less than in 2019. This is the positive conclusion of a report published on Monday by the Association for the employment of executives (Apec).

After a record volume of 281,300 recruitments in 2019, executive employment experienced “an air pocket” in 2020 with 228,700 recruitments (-19%).

The rebound in 2021 is greater than the forecasts made in May by Apec, which expected 247,000 recruitments on permanent or fixed-term contracts of one year and more.

“Caution for 2022”

Taking into account departures (resignations, dismissals, retirement, etc.), the balance of net creations of executive positions reached 63,500 in 2021 compared to 37,100 in 2020. “Despite the persistence of the health crisis (of Covid-19), 2021 will have been a good year for executive employment", sums up the general manager of Apec Gilles Gateau in a press release, while inviting "caution" for 2022, "marked already by a return of uncertainty linked to the health crisis and the geopolitical context”.

The restart in 2021 was contrasted depending on the sector: some saw their recruitment exceed the pre-crisis level, such as banking-insurance (+15%) or health-social action (+13%), while others have not reabsorbed the decline, such as the hotel-catering-leisure industry (-20%), the automotive-aeronautical industry (-24%) or even communication-media (-20%).

Modest wage increase

In terms of functions, IT specialists were the most coveted (23% of recruitments) ahead of R&D study executives and salespeople.

The progression of recruitments is, moreover, observed in all regions, Ile-de-France alone concentrating nearly half of hirings (128,420).

On the salary side, Apec notes that 2021 was a year of rebound, but "modest in view of the return of inflation" and "still as desperately unequal between men and women executives".

The median salary of executives thus amounts to 51,000 euros gross annually compared to 50,000 in 2018, 2019 and 2020. In 2021, female executives earn “still 15% less than men”.

1 in 5 young people has a “food job”

With regard to young graduates, 82% of Bac + 5 and more were in employment 12 months after obtaining their diploma in 2020 (compared to 69% for the previous promotion), thus returning to a level close to that of before - crisis (85%).

Apec notes that wage inequalities appear from the start of their careers (27,600 euros for women against 33,000 for men) and sees a "warning point" in the fact that 20% of young people in employment consider their job as a “food job”.

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