France hourly labour costs: professional & scientific
France hourly labour costs: professional & scientific stood at 113 in Q2 2026, according to INSEE – Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (BDM). It is one of the indicators in the Wages and labour cost table (Value · Quarterly), with a complete series running from Q1 1998 to Q2 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Wages and labour cost table
| Indicator | Q2-2026 | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour cost index | |||||||||||
| hourly costs - Professional, scientific and technical activities (NAF rev. 2 item M) | 113 | 112.5 | 112.2 | 110.8 | 110.3 | 109.9 | 109.3 | 108.4 | 107.6 | 106.4 | |
| hourly costs - Administrative and support service activities (NAF rev. 2 item N) | 118.4 | 117 | 116.9 | 115.5 | 115 | 115.1 | 115.1 | 114 | 113.8 | 112.7 |
Understanding france hourly labour costs: professional & scientific
This measure records hourly employer expenditures for personnel employed in legal, accounting, management consulting, architectural, engineering, scientific research, and advertising activities. The computation aggregates base salaries, professional allowances, and mandatory social charges divided by the aggregate hours worked by consultants, engineers, scientists, lawyers, and support staff. It isolates specialized intellectual services from administrative support and financial sectors.
Staffing structures rely heavily on highly qualified salaried professionals, meaning that specialized recruitment premiums and firm-wide profit sharing can shift hourly compensation levels. Preliminary quarterly figures undergo standard revisions as professional partnerships and consultancies complete their fiscal year audits. Analysts should avoid direct comparisons with industrial wage indices, as professional services operate on knowledge-based fee structures rather than factory production hours.
Frequently asked questions
- What professions are captured in scientific and technical activities?
- It includes legal and accounting practices, architecture and engineering firms, scientific research laboratories, and management consultancies.
- What drives cost changes in this professional category?
- High demand for specialized expertise, professional allowances, and firm profit-sharing arrangements influence hourly remuneration.
- How do revisions impact early professional sector data?
- Initial estimates are updated when professional partnerships and consultancies finalize their comprehensive annual financial reports.