France underemployed part-time workers share
France underemployed part-time workers share stood at 3.8% in Q2 2026, according to Eurostat – labour market slack by sex and age, quarterly (lfsi_sla_q). It is one of the indicators in the Labour market indicators (Eurostat) table (Value · Quarterly), with a complete series running from Q1 2003 to Q2 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Labour market indicators (Eurostat) table
| Indicator | Q2-2026 | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour market slack | 5,132 | 5,052 | 5,016 | 4,966 | 4,961 | 4,808 | 4,800 | 4,726 | 4,800 | 4,759 | |
| As a share of the extended labour force | |||||||||||
| Underemployed part-time workers | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 |
Understanding france underemployed part-time workers share
This metric isolates individuals working reduced hours who actively seek and are immediately available to take on additional tasks, expressed as a proportion of the extended labor pool. It separates those who accept shorter schedules involuntarily from voluntary part-time employees, contrasting directly with aggregate slack indicators that combine multiple categories of labor underutilization into a single headline percentage.
When evaluating these figures, analysts must account for shifts in contract regulations and collective bargaining agreements that alter standard working hour thresholds over time. Year-on-year comparisons are particularly useful for filtering out regular quarterly fluctuations caused by school schedules or holiday periods. Comparing this specific ratio with total unemployment figures helps determine whether organizations adjust labor input by altering staff counts or by modifying employee working hours.
Frequently asked questions
- What distinguishes underemployed part-time workers from standard part-time employees?
- Underemployed part-time workers actively want and are available to work additional hours, whereas standard part-time staff are satisfied with their current schedule.
- How does this metric interact with the overall labor market slack rate?
- This figure represents a specific sub-component of total slack, isolating only those who have a job but insufficient hours.
- Why might seasonal patterns affect this particular percentage?
- Temporary adjustments in retail, hospitality, and education frequently alter part-time availability throughout the calendar year.