Fact check: Aree France's working conditions are among Europe's worst?

Euronews

3 days ago

French social media users have been reacting to claims made recently on live TV by economist Jean-Claude Delgènes, who said that France has "completely fallen behind in terms of working conditions".
"In a study carried out at the end of 2021 and published in 2022 (...) France is in 36th position, right at the bottom with Albania, in terms of working conditions," Delgènes told Public Sénat, the official TV channel of the upper house of the French Parliament.
His statements have prompted a flood of reactions on social media.
It comes as the issue of precarious working conditions comes to the fore in France.
Over the past two and a half months, five young workers and trainees aged between 15 and 19 have been killed in workplace accidents, raising questions about the country's labour conditions.
We took a closer look at the data to verify the claims made by Delgènes.
France trails most European counterparts
The claims are based on a 2021 study by Eurofound, a Dublin-based agency that conducts research into living and working conditions in European countries.
Its most recent survey into European working conditions, known as EWCS, dates from 2021. Updated fieldwork from 2024 is expected to be made public later this year.
The research looks at working conditions in 36 European countries, including all 27 European Union member states.
It includes a 'job quality index', which combines data points on aspects such as health, safety, work satisfaction and more to measure the degree to which workers are strained in the workplace.
The results suggest that more workers in France are exposed to 'extremely strained' or 'highly strained' conditions than in most other countries.
Only in Serbia, Montenegro, Slovakia and Poland do more workers have 'extremely strained' or 'highly strained' conditions, according to the findings.
France not in 36th position 'with Albania'
When we also consider those who cited 'moderately strained' conditions, France ranks penultimately, with only Slovakia scoring worse, and Albania faring slightly better.
The research therefore does not place France "right at the bottom, with Albania in terms of working conditions" as Delgènes asserts.
When we look only at workers citing "extremely strained", or the most severe conditions, France ranks 30th, above other EU member states such as Croatia and Cyprus as well as the United Kingdom.
Concerns over health and safety
The data, however, does place France behind most of its European counterparts when it comes to labour conditions.
Data provided by Eurostat, the EU's statistical office, confirms the trend.
According to the latest estimates, only Malta ranks worse than France in terms of the incidence of fatal accidents recorded in the workplace.
These concerns have been augmented recently with the tragic deaths of five young workers in their place of work in the space of just two and a half months. According to estimates, two people die in the workplace in France every day.
The French government is examining a proposal to sanction employers responsible for workplace issues, such as through fines and criminal prosecutions, according to a document recently seen by French media, including Le Monde.