310,000 Foreign Workers Are Needed in France to Support Its Economy

According to a recent analysis by a French think tank, the nation will require between 250,000 and 310,000 foreign workers by 2040 to sustain its economy

According to the Terra Nova report, immigration is essential to France’s economic growth as the country deals with an aging population.

According to the survey, France welcomed roughly 331,000 immigrants by 2022, and market demands are expected to stay roughly the same, meaning that the country would require more workers in the future.

France Depends on Immigrants, Especially in Labor-Scarce Sectors

Many industries, particularly those that struggle to hire local workers and continue to rely on labor immigration, depend heavily on foreign workers.

Given that 61% of the workforce in the Ile-de-France region—one of the nation’s most significant—is foreign-born, the healthcare industry is one of these sectors.

There are labor shortages in other industries as well, such cleaning, construction, and agriculture, which the government cannot solve without resorting to immigration. It is estimated that around 20% of the physicians practicing in French institutions are foreign graduates.

This demonstrates how labor shortages are getting worse and how a consistent influx of foreign workers might prevent economic growth from being threatened.

The French do not believe that hiring foreign labor is urgently necessary.

French individuals do not believe the situation is as dire as it seems, despite reports and repeated reminders from the government that the nation needs more foreign labor.

48 percent of respondents support zero immigration in France, according to a CSA institute poll for the JDD, Europe 1, and CNews. This is a 7% increase in the number of French citizens who support this campaign compared to 2021.

About 55% of men were more likely to oppose the idea of zero immigration, compared to 53% of women who supported it.

1,011 respondents who were at least 18 years old participated in the study, which was carried out in November 2024. For this study, factors like geography, occupation, age, and gender were considered.

Respondents’ political opinions and beliefs had a significant influence on the outcome; far-right and right-wing voters overwhelmingly supported the zero immigration campaign, while left-wing respondents were more likely to oppose it.