Job increases stayed modest throughout to a mere +1% in one year although some sectors gained additional work force

Of all labor segments, the services sector (commerce, transport, financial services, real estate, services to individuals) performed best in one year with +1.6% job creations and gained a more modest +0.3% workforce in Q4/2006 while the manufacturing group (consumer goods, auto industry, intermediate goods, capital goods) saw jobs decline -1.9% in one year and -0.4% in Q4. The industry branch (food & agro industry, consumer goods, auto industry, intermediate goods, capital goods, energy) did not fare better as jobs fell -1.7% in one year and -0.4% in Q4. 

The services sector’s strong performance resulted from the  Services to Individuals segment (ironing, personal computer assistance and training etc..) +2.5% jobs gain in one year (none in Q4 however ) as new tax incentives boosted consumer demand for this new niche.

Real Estate +2% job increase in one year (+1.4% in Q4) benefited from a chronic housing shortage allowing for multiple agencies to nearly flood the market despite inflationary rentals and property prices. The Commerce sector, known to record the highest bankruptcy rate of all groups, observed a more modest +0.7% job increase (a stable +0.1% in Q4) in one year and solely reflected that specific group’s reputation.

Services to Companies’ gained +2.3% work force in one year (but stayed stable in Q4) while Transport recorded a slighter increase, +0.7% in one year (unchanged in Q4) as oil prices restrained potential entrepreneurs from entering into business ventures.

The industry group by contrast recorded its strongest job declines due to the Automobile Industry -3.6% job creations in one year and -0.9% in Q4/06 as fierce competition saw French car sales reach record lows.

The consumer goods sector -2.5% jobs creations in one year (and -0.6% in Q4/06) reflected the growing number of delocalization schemes (local plants moved to low cost countries) while capital goods  succeeded in remaining out of the red.

The intermediate goods sector was impacted the most as jobs fell -2.1% in one year and a slighter -0.3% in Q4/06 as a direct consequence of a depressed automobile industry sector along with inflationary raw material prices. 

The food & agriculture industry's jobs fell -1% in one year and -0.3% in Q4.  Similarly, the manufacturing sector’s poor performance reflected each of that group's own difficulties.