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🇫🇷 France /Culture & Society

Salary and work-life balance increasingly prioritized by French intermediate professions

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Work-life balance is a growing priority for intermediate professions in France, with 77% citing it as important in 2026.
  • Salary is nearly equal in priority, with 76% of these workers considering it crucial, a significant increase from 56% in 2018.
  • These workers report declining job satisfaction and feel their skills are not adequately recognized or compensated.

Work-life balance has emerged as a paramount concern for France's intermediate professions, including supervisors, technicians, nurses, and teachers. A recent survey indicates that 77% of these workers prioritize professional and personal life equilibrium in 2026, up from 69% in 2025. This growing emphasis reflects a broader shift in worker expectations and priorities within this significant segment of the French workforce.

Salaries are nearly on par with work-life balance in terms of importance for this group. In 2026, 76% of intermediate professionals consider salary a top priority, a substantial rise from 56% in 2018. Despite representing the largest socio-professional category in France, accounting for 25.8% of jobs according to INSEE, these workers have experienced minimal real wage growth. The average net salary for private sector intermediate professionals has increased by only 0.9% in 2024 compared to 1996, a stagnation that the Ugict-CGT union describes as a "complete disconnect."

Thus 50% estimate that their 'technicality' is not recognized by these grids and 57% that these classifications do not allow them to obtain sufficient recognition and remuneration.

— ViaVoice survey for Ugict-CGTDetailing the perceived lack of skill recognition and compensation.

Compounding these concerns, intermediate professionals report dissatisfaction with how their skills are valued and compensated. Half of them feel their technical expertise is not recognized by current classification grids, and 57% believe these grids do not lead to sufficient recognition or remuneration. Consequently, 40% of respondents are experiencing a decline in the meaning and interest of their work, with only 10% reporting an increase. While the intensification of work due to information and communication technologies has decreased since 2015, fewer workers now perceive these technologies as simplifying their tasks.

In parallel, 40% see the interest and meaning of their work diminishing, against only 10% who see them increasing, while 47% estimate that they remain stable.

— ViaVoice survey for Ugict-CGTReporting on the declining job satisfaction among intermediate professionals.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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