France private sector employment: machinery and equipment
France private sector employment: machinery and equipment stood at 171,888 persons in Q2 2026, according to URSSAF – Union de recouvrement des cotisations de sécurité sociale et d'allocations familiales. It is one of the indicators in the Private employment and short-time work (URSSAF) table (Value · Quarterly), with a complete series running from Q3 1998 to Q2 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Private employment and short-time work (URSSAF) table
| Indicator | Q2-2026 | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private employment by sector | |||||||||||
| Machinery and equipment n.e.c. | 171,888 | 172,374 | 172,788 | 173,512 | 174,072 | 175,321 | 175,703 | 176,284 | 176,000 | 175,650 | |
| Transport equipment | 348,975 | 347,387 | 347,667 | 348,480 | 348,362 | 354,712 | 355,394 | 355,936 | 356,354 | 354,402 |
Understanding france private sector employment: machinery and equipment
Payroll employment within industrial establishments dedicated to fabricating general-purpose machinery, industrial engines, pumps, and specialized mechanical apparatus is enumerated in this specific manufacturing subsegment. Workers engaged in assembling metal-working tools, industrial furnaces, and fluid power equipment are counted here, while positions in electrical equipment production or motor vehicle manufacturing are tallied in separate industrial categories. Administrative staff, production line operators, and technical design personnel on enterprise payrolls are all included within this mechanical engineering domain.
Evaluating this specialized industrial headcount involves watching for structural shifts driven by automation, global supply chain adjustments, and technological retooling across mechanical workshops. Seasonality is typically less pronounced here than in consumer-facing services or construction, though summer holiday closures can introduce predictable dips in output and recorded hours. Analysts must distinguish between cyclical demand swings affecting durable goods producers and long-term structural changes when monitoring quarterly movements in this industrial branch.
Frequently asked questions
- Are electrical machinery workers included in this mechanical equipment category?
- No, production workers building electrical motors and distribution apparatus belong to a separate industrial classification.
- How do factory shutdowns in summer affect the reported figures?
- Extended plant holidays across the manufacturing sector can temporarily influence administrative payroll records during the affected period.
- What distinguishes this industrial segment from broader manufacturing totals?
- This count isolates mechanical engineering activities from other industrial branches like chemical production, textiles, and transport equipment.