France has formally unveiled its updated list of shortage professions for 2025, highlighting more than 80 employment positions currently available to international employees under facilitated processes. The new list revealed in the Official Journal, plays a crucial role in regularizing unrecorded employees while addressing the nation’s growing labor deficits.
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Why The Update Is Important
This action is part of France’s broader strategy to meet workforce demands across industries facing severe labor shortages. The 2025 shortage list will also facilitate work permit procedures, providing international employees with a more straightforward route to lawful employment and residency.
The list has to do with high-demand employment in industries like:
- Agriculture and forestry
- Domestic services
- Construction
- Hospitality and food services
- Renewable energy
- Transportation and logistics
- Manufacturing and industry
- Healthcare and home care
- Information Technology (IT)
Major Industries And In-Demand Professions
Below is a summary of the key sectors and some of the prominent positions mentioned in the 2025 shortage professional list:
Agriculture And Forestry
- Viticulturists, Arboriculturists, Forestry Employees
- Agricultural workers, Horticulturists, and Livestock farmers.
Construction And Building Trades
- Welders, Boilermakers, Masons
- Construction engineers, plumbers, electricians, and carpenters
- Roofers, site managers, heavy equipment operators.
Hospitality And Home Care
- Veterinarians
- Nurses, healthcare supporters, caregivers
- Physiotherapists, early childhood tutors, and doctors
Manufacturing And Industry
- Welders, assemblers, sheet metal workers
- Machine operators, maintenance mechanics
- Metal processing technicians, industrial quality technicians
Transportation And Logistics
- Packaging workers, logistics handlers
- Truck drivers, tram operators, bus drivers
Information Technology And Digital Occupations
- AI Specialist, networking engineers, Information Technology project managers
- Software developers, data analysts, IT security professionals
Other Skilled Trades
- Elevator installers, cement plant operators, glass workers
- Refrigeration technicians, automotive repairers, and surveyors.
A Step In The Legalisation Of International Workers
Beyond completing openings, the revised list permits specific unrecorded international employees already hired in these professions to apply for legal residency. This regularisation procedure is expected to benefit thousands of employees, primarily in the hospitality, local support, and agricultural sectors.
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Hospitality Industry Welcomes The Change
The hospitality industry, one of France’s top employers, has been particularly loud in support of the changes. According to France Travail, the hospitality sector is expected to experience a shortfall of 336,000 jobs in 2025, with 50 percent of these positions being complicated to fill.
France’s Labour Market Demands International Skill
A recent study by the French think tank Terra Nova recommends that France will require between 250,000 and 310,000 international employees in 2025 alone to maintain economic stability. With a rapidly growing population, immigration is no longer an option; it is now mandatory.
In 2022, France accepted more than 331,000 immigrants, yet labor depletions continued. The updated shortage profession list is part of a wider policy adjustment aimed at attracting and retaining skilled international experts.
Work In France Simplified
If you are an international citizen with skills in any of the stated professions, 2025 could be your opportunity to:
- Apply for a France Work permit via a simplified procedure.
- Transition from unrecorded to legal employee status.
- Take benefit of quicker residence permit authorizations.
- Get long-term employment opportunities in a high-demand industry.
Hint: Ensure your occupational certifications match with French labor market measures and seek a legal professional or immigration advisor before making an application.
