The eighth objective recognizes the importance of sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in order to provide everyone with decent and quality employment. It aims to eradicate exploitative and degrading forms of work and to ensure the protection of all workers. It promotes the development of training and employment opportunities for younger generations, alongside the enhancement of skills for “sustainable” jobs.
SDG 8 also calls for strengthened international cooperation to support growth and decent work in developing countries, through increased Aid for Trade, the implementation of development-oriented policies, and a global strategy for youth employment.
SDG8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
Where does France stand ?
Domestic challenges
France’s economy is accelerating sharply (2.5% over 2022), with a growth rate confirming the current momentum of the French economy and the success of the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, which had a severe impact on the country’s economic activity (-7.8% over 2020).
The unemployment rate is falling but has remained high since the 2008 crisis, and employment remains one of France’s major challenges. In 2023, the unemployment rate was 7.4% with overseas territories (unemployment rate of 13.9% in French Guiana and 18.8% on Reunion Island), young people (17.6% of working 15-24 year-olds are unemployed) and migrants (13% of immigrants and 12% of descendants of immigrants) being particularly hard hit.
Inventing a new production and social model that is more environmentally friendly is a necessity, but also an opportunity in terms of employment and skills. Eco-activities and environmental employment in the strict sense represent almost 2.4% of total employment in 2020. Between 2004 and 2020, the added value of eco-activities grew at a much faster rate than in the economy as a whole : +4.1% compared with +1.9% in current euros. Green professions (those with an environmental purpose) or “greening” professions (those whose practice is evolving in line with environmental concerns) account for almost 4 million jobs.
Added to these volumes are the activities and jobs of the social and solidarity economy (SSE), a growing sector in France. The largest SSE company in Europe is French. It is the SOS Group.
France’s actions
The aim of the Action Plan for Business Growth and Transformation (PACTE) is to give businesses back the means to innovate, invest, prospect for new markets, transform themselves, grow, create jobs and support the ecological and energy transition. An eponymous law (the PACTE law), developed in partnership with the private sector, was passed into law in 2019. In particular, this law encourages companies to adopt a socially and environmentally responsible approach.
In September 2020, the French government announced the France Recovery Plan, aimed at rapidly reviving the economy and achieving results in terms of decarbonisation, industrial recovery, and strengthening skills and qualifications throughout the country. This exceptional €100 billion plan is being deployed in three areas : ecological transition, competitiveness and cohesion. It is financially supported to the sum of around €40 billion by the European Union.
To support this economic ambition, the Skills Investment Plan (2018-2022), an unprecedented €15 billion effort, is aimed at training one million low-skilled young people and one million poorly-skilled long-term jobseekers, and radically transforming the training on offer. A new cycle of investment in training for jobseekers over the period 2024/2027, announced in partnership between the government and the regions in September 2023, will enable the consolidation of the economic recovery and the cohesion of French society to continue.
Youth employment remains a government priority, notably with the “1 jeune, 1 solution” plan deployed as part of the recovery plan. Between mid-2020 and mid 2021, 1.8 million entries were recorded under this scheme, an increase of 41% over one year. The State is also banking on the overhaul of the youth employment support schemes made possible by the Contrat d’Engagement Jeune (CEJ - Youth Engagement Contract). In 2023, the CEJ passed the 500,000 mark for young people receiving support.
At the same time, the reform of vocational training launched in 2018 with the Professional Future law aims to renovate the social model, by equipping itself with tools that are better suited to supporting changes in the labour market. The outlook for recovery looks positive, thanks in particular to investment in forward-looking sectors such as the digital economy and the energy transition. Entrepreneurship, sustainable tourism and the circular economy are also key drivers of growth.
Internationally
France is involved through various tools and programmes. For example, the Cape Town initiative, launched in 2008 at France’s instigation, includes a €250 billion guarantee fund (ARIZ), to facilitate access to bank credit and capital for African SMEs. The credit lines open to local banks and the work of Proparco in the financial sector encourage this dynamic aimed at supporting employment-rich growth.