France underemployment rate: part-time workers wanting more hours
France underemployment rate: part-time workers wanting more hours stood at 3.2% in Q2 2026, according to INSEE – Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (BDM). It is one of the indicators in the Unemployment and employment (labour force survey) 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 Unemployment and employment (labour force survey) table
| Indicator | Q2-2026 | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate | |||||||||||
| Underemployment rate - Part-time workers, wishing to work more hours, available to do so but not looking for another job - SA data | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.2 | |
| ILO active persons (activity rate) - Persons aged 55 to 64 years - SA data | 65.9 | 65.7 | 65.7 | 65.2 | 65.1 | 64.7 | 64.4 | 64 | 63.5 | 63 |
Understanding france underemployment rate: part-time workers wanting more hours
This measure isolates part-time workers who expressly wish to work additional hours and remain immediately available to take on extra shifts, expressed as a share of total employment. It isolates individuals who experience restricted working hours against their preference, differentiating them from voluntary part-time staff who deliberately chose shorter schedules. The denominator encompasses all employed persons, making this figure distinct from strict unemployment metrics which require complete joblessness and active job searches. Excluded from this count are individuals working standard full-time schedules who experience temporary production slowdowns.
Seasonal adjustments eliminate recurring calendar disruptions such as holiday periods affecting retail or hospitality schedules. Revisions often affect early estimates as late survey submissions are integrated into the final dataset. Period-on-period quarterly comparisons reveal short-term shifts in employer scheduling practices more accurately than year-on-year evaluations, which can smooth over rapid economic adjustments. Analysts should avoid treating this indicator as a direct proxy for the standard unemployment rate, because these individuals are already formally recorded as employed.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this indicator include full-time workers who want more hours?
- No, this specific series is restricted to individuals currently working part-time hours who desire additional work.
- What distinguishes underemployed part-time workers from unemployed individuals?
- Underemployed individuals already hold a job and are counted as employed, whereas unemployed individuals perform zero hours of work and actively search for a position.
- Are students working voluntary part-time hours included in this numerator?
- Students are only counted if they actively want more hours and are available to work them, though many part-time students prefer their current restricted schedules.