France Ranks as Top Attractive EU Destination for Skilled Foreign Workers

One of the EU countries that captured a notable share of this interest was France, with foreign job searches rising from 2.9 per cent in June 2020 to 5.2 per cent in July 2024, EU Helpers reports.

According to Indeed, the surge in interest in France can largely be attributed to the recent simplification of work visa application procedures, making it more accessible for foreign professionals to pursue job opportunities there.

France Dominates High-Paying Job Searches Among Western Countries

Among major Western countries, France stands out for attracting qualified workers. As a result, 36 per cent of foreign clicks are on high-paying job offers, surpassing other destinations as follows:

Netherlands (35 per cent)
United States (30 per cent)
Germany (28 per cent)
Italy (23 per cent)
Spain (21 per cent)

However, lower-paid jobs attract more foreign workers in Australia (47 per cent) and Spain (52 per cent), compared to 33 per cent in France.

Specific sectors in France are especially appealing to foreign workers, particularly education and training, which saw an increase of 0.9 per cent over five years, reaching 3.2 per cent of foreign clicks in early 2024. The most interested groups in these positions include Moroccans, Tunisians, British, Americans, and Canadians.

France Sees Growth Across Key Sectors Amid Worker Shortage

Other sectors have also experienced more than 0.5 per cent growth since 2019, such as catering, road transport, installation and maintenance, and medicine-surgery, with significant interest from workers in Maghreb countries.

EU Helpers previously reported that the MEDEF Employers’ Federation warned France will require 3.9 million workers by 2050. In addition, data from the Interior Ministry shows that France issued 320,000 first-time residence permits to non-European immigrants in 2023, reflecting a 1.4 per cent increase from 2022.

Of these permits, 54,000 were for economic immigration, a five per cent rise compared to the previous year. In 2021, one in ten workers in France were foreigners, and this ratio rose to one in four in certain sectors, particularly in domestic services, security, and construction. Foreign workers made up 40 per cent of those employed in household jobs.

Many immigrant workers were also found in security and guarding, construction, and the hotel and catering industries.