France
Strategies for youth employment
- Strategies for youth employment
- Yes
Youth employment strategy planned in the next 2 years
- Discussions within the government
- No
- Consultations with national-level stakeholders (e.g. employers’ and workers’ associations, youth councils, etc.)
- No
- A draft strategy already exists
- No
- Other (please specify)
- No
Countries with national action plans for youth employment
- Monitoring framework (timeline and activity/outcome indicators, e.g. youth labour market indicators)
- Yes
- Funding (indicative budget to implement the plan)
- Yes
- Institutional responsibilities (e.g. ministries/agencies in charge of specific planned activities )
- Yes
- Other, specify
- No
Public funding for the national youth employment strategy
- Public funding for the national youth employment strategy
- Yes
Additional information:
• Ministry of Labour and Employment • Ministry of Education and Youth • Ministry of Higher Education and ResearchYouth in the national development / employment strategy
- Youth in the national development / employment strategy
- Yes
Additional information:
France includes youth as a key target group in its employment and development policies. Several national programs specifically address the integration of young people into the labor market, particularly those who are neither in employment, education, nor training (NEET). These include: 1. Right to employment support for youth (ages 16–25): Enshrined in Article L.5131-3 of the French Labour Code, this right is implemented through two main instruments since March 1, 2022: • Contractual Pathway for Employment and Autonomy (PACEA): As per Article L.5131-5 of the Labour Code, PACEA is a personalized support program for young people aged 16 to 25 who are NEET. It is delivered by public employment services specialized in supporting young people facing social and professional challenges (notably local missions, or missions locales). The program is based on a contract between the young person and their advisor and includes tailored actions such as training, work placements, and ongoing support. Under certain conditions, participants may also receive financial assistance. • Youth Engagement Contract (CEJ): As defined in Article L.5131-6 of the Labour Code, the CEJ is an enhanced version of the PACEA, offering more intensive support,15 to 20 hours of mandatory activities per week (e.g. workshops, internships, training). Eligible young people may receive a financial allowance of up to €552 per month, depending on their income and commitment to the program.} 2. Mandatory education or training for youth between 16–18 years old: France enforces a compulsory education or training obligation for all youth aged 16 to 18. This measure is designed to provide customized support for early school leavers and prevent long-term disconnection from education or employment. 3. Apprenticeship reform (Law of 5 September 2018 on Career Freedom): Apprenticeship reforms under this law aim to make vocational training more attractive, accessible, and aligned with labor market needs: • Improved attractiveness: Increased apprentice wages and financial support (e.g., for obtaining a driver’s license). • Broader eligibility: Open to youth up to age 29, and beyond for those with disabilities. Liberalized Training Offer: Training providers (apprenticeship centers) now have greater flexibility to develop and expand programs across the country in response to both employer demand and youth aspirations. • Updated funding model: Training centers are financed based on a simplified, demand-driven model.Countries with national goals for youth employment
- Countries with national goals for youth employment
- Yes
Additional information:
France has set clear national objectives to promote youth employment through structured programs, legal commitments, and substantial financial incentives. 1. Youth Engagement Contract (Contrat d'engagement jeune – CEJ): Implemented since March 1, 2022, by the national public employment service and local missions (missions locales), the CEJ aims to guide young people (particularly those most distant from the labor market) toward sustainable employment. This policy is part of the broader legal framework on the right to employment and autonomy support, established in the Labour Code. • The CEJ targets young people aged 16 to 25 (extended to 29 for those with disabilities) who are not in employment, education, or training and are ready to engage in an intensive support process. • Building on the former Youth Guarantee program and aligned with the #1youth1solution (#1Jeune1Solution) plan, the CEJ offers individualized, intensive support through a single caseworker and includes a minimum of 15 hours of weekly activities (e.g. training, workshops, internships). • From March 1, 2022, to December 5, 2024, a total of 869,021 young people entered the CEJ program. 2. National policy to promote apprenticeships: France has adopted an ambitious apprenticeship policy supported by generous financial incentives for employers: • From 2020 to 2022, recruitment bonuses ranged from €5,000 to €8,000 per apprenticeship contract, depending on the age of the apprentice. • In 2023, a flat-rate hiring incentive of €6,000 per apprentice contract was introduced, regardless of age. • As of the end of September 2024, 1,007,099 individuals were enrolled in apprenticeship contracts, a 3.0% increase over the previous year and more than tripling since 2017. 3. Mandatory education or training for youth aged 16 - 18: Introduced by Law No. 2019-791 of July 26, 2019, “For a School of Trust,” this measure took effect in September 2020. Its preventive objective is to ensure that no young person leaves the education system without qualifications or basic skills. • Local missions (missions locales) are tasked with monitoring and ensuring compliance with this training obligation, in collaboration with a network of institutional partners. • Approximately 60,000 youth aged 16–18 are concerned by this provision.Countries with quantitative targets for youth employment
- Countries with quantitative targets for youth employment
- No
Policy areas in national youth employment strategies
- Macroeconomic and Sectoral policies
- No
- Enterprise Development
- No
- Education, Training and skills development
- Yes
- Labour Demand
- Yes
- Labour Law and Legislation
- No
- Labour Market Policies
- Yes
- Other (please specify)
- No
Social partners' inclusion in the youth employment strategy
- Workers
- Implementation of youth employment strategies/programmes (e.g. social partners as official implementers of the strategy or programme)
- Consulted
- Assessment of youth employability (alignment of youth qualifications and skills to labour market needs)
- Consulted
- Monitoring and evaluation of youth employment interventions (e.g. active labour market programmes)
- Consulted
- Awareness raising, marketing and promotion of youth employment (e.g. campaign to promote youth employment)
- Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
- Formulation of youth employment strategies (e.g. national action plan for youth)
- Consulted
- Development of youth employment programmes (e.g. sectoral programme with a clear target to employ X number of youth)
- Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
- Employers
- Implementation of youth employment strategies/programmes (e.g. social partners as official implementers of the strategy or programme)
- Consulted
- Assessment of youth employability (alignment of youth qualifications and skills to labour market needs)
- Consulted
- Monitoring and evaluation of youth employment interventions (e.g. active labour market programmes)
- Consulted
- Awareness raising, marketing and promotion of youth employment (e.g. campaign to promote youth employment)
- Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
- Formulation of youth employment strategies (e.g. national action plan for youth)
- Consulted
- Development of youth employment programmes (e.g. sectoral programme with a clear target to employ X number of youth)
- Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Youth-led organizatios' inclusion in the national strategy
- Fully involved
- Yes
- Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
- No
- Consulted
- No
- Informed
- No
- Not involved
- No
Countries with national partnerships for youth employment
- Countries with national partnerships for youth employment
- Yes
Additional information:
2025: * Depuis la loi Plein emploi (décembre 2023), la transformation du service public de l'emploi (France Travail) s'accompagne de la construction d'un "Réseau pour l'emploi" qui regroupe l'ensemble des parties prenantes de l'emploi, la formation et l'insertion : l'opérateur France Travail, l'État, les collectivités locales, les missions locales (qui suivent les jeunes) et Cap emploi (qui suit les personnes handicapées); * Acteurs de la formation professionnelle (OPCO); * Acteurs privés (entreprises, associations, etc.); * Coopération avec financeurs : par exemple financements européens, Erasmus +; 2024: Partnerships in the framework of inter-institutional cooperation (PES, Pôle emploi, Union nationale des missions locales, CAP emploi) Vocational training actors (OPCO) Private actors (companies, associations, etc.) Cooperation with funders: e.g. European funding, Erasmus + Youth Policy Advisory Council (Conseil d'orientation des politiques de jeunesse)Inclusiveness of vulnerable groups in national strategies
- Women
- No
- Migrant Workers
- Yes
- NEETs
- Yes
- People with disabilities
- Yes
- Low skilled workers
- Yes
- Rural workers
- No
- Other (please specify)
- Yes
Youth employment strategies and international cooperation
- Youth employment strategies and international cooperation
- Yes
Additional information:
The ILO office promotes research activities in this area.