Following months of falling, unemployment in France rose slightly in the final quarter of 2023. The number of people out of work was 3.033 million at the end of last year, with 4,800 new registrations compared to the previous quarter.

It’s not all the beginning of bad news, however. The rise in the number of people looking for work is not for a lack of jobs. Employers are currently advertising thousands of posts.

Here’s a look at some of the sectors which are recruiting heavily in 2024.

Public transport

In the Paris region, operators RATP and Transilien SNCF are recruiting heavily ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games. 

Transilien SNCF has announced a target of 900 new recruits, including 400 additional train and RER drivers and 130 maintenance staff.

RATP is planning to recruit 5,300 new staff, two-thirds of whom will be on permanent contracts. In addition to driving and maintenance positions, it plans to increase the number of station agents, with 900 positions to be filled this year.

Theme parks

A total 8,400 jobs are available on a range of contracts at Disneyland Paris, with a big push on offering fixed-term contracts of 35 hours for a period of to to eight months from February to September, as well as permanent maintenance posts.

Meanwhile, Parc Astérix is looking for more than 2,500 seasonal workers – particularly  in hospitality, sales, and entertainment – in time for its opening at the end of March. 

Across France, theme parks have started looking for staff as they prepare for the 2024 season.

Healthcare

Hospitals in Paris are offering grants plus bonuses of up to €2,500 to student nurses who pledge to remain in post at the end of their training. 

Meanwhile, hospitals in Lyon are offering fast-track promotion and a bonus to new general nurses, anaesthetists and operating theatre nurses.

Most medical posts are open only to EU citizens, but there are plans to introduce a special residency permit to attract more healthcare workers. You will however, need to have your qualifications recognised and to be able to speak French to a high level. 

Retail 

The supermarket chain Carrefour expects to recruit 35,000 staff this year, and is particularly looking to employ 16,000 young people. Jobs are available in Ain, Brittany and in the south-west.

Lidl, meanwhile, is looking for more than 16,000 new recruits across France, with 97 percent on permanent contracts – including some 400 assistant manager posts. It is also looking to employ more than 1,000 students on work-study contracts.

Armed forces

France’s armed forces are planning 28,300 job hires this year, including more than 5,000 civilian roles. As well as traditional military roles, open jobs include cyber security, intelligence, air support, and digital transformation.

Joining the military requires you to be a French citizen (unless you want to join the Foreign Legion) but some civilian support roles are open to non-French nationals.