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France is one of the largest and most advanced economies within the EU. It is also one of the more active and growing economies for freelancers. An estimated 3.2 million professionals are full- and part-time freelancers, 10% of the EU’s 33 million freelancers.
In part, French freelance growth reflects the continuing growth of France as a global economic force. France is the seventh largest economy and among the most productive. As in most other parts of the world, economic activity and near term investment is expected remain constrained by tight financial conditions and uncertainty about inflation and the potential for recession.
However, while a slow recovery is expected for the economy overall, the freelance CEOs who we’ve have spoken with see positive growth for the freelance revolution.
As they see it, there are several catalysts. The first, of course, is the fact of an expanded workforce concept made necessary by the Pandemic. More companies learned that freelancers and other contingent staff could effectively supplement their workforce with high quality experts. Remote work solutions put upon companies by the Pandemic further opened companies of all sizes in France to consider new or alternative work arrangements, and provide the technology infrastructure to make it scalable and cost efficient. And, technology made it possible to source freelancers from anywhere and everywhere; for many professions, geography was no longer an impediment to growth. Finally, more professionals are “awakening” to new work and career styles, made possible by freelance platforms or private corporate “talent clouds”. They are a new talent source, and one that provides a variety of advantages to corporate and SMB clients.
According to the National Institute of Economic Statistics and Studies (l’Lnsee), France has about 3 million part- or fulltime freelancers or B2B independent business owners. Overall, 13% of the workforce was self-employed – higher for men (15.6%) than women (9.5%). According to Statistica, the average daily rate for tech freelancers was above 500 euros per day.
How do CEOs and thought leaders in France see the near-term future for freelancing? As part of a series of interviews with freelance leaders in different countries, we spoke to a number of French CEOs, asking for their perspective:
How is the freelance revolution shaping up in France: what's is your forecast for the freelance economy in France this year and next? Are you optimistic and, if so, why? Are there any “dark clouds” on the horizon that concern you?
For Jean de Rauglaudre, CEO Collective, optimism comes from the view that freelancers are a legitimate alternative to agencies.
"B2B services grew fast in 2022 and should still grow in 2023. Freelancing captured a small part of this market (~5%) but offers a relevant alternative to agencies and service companies. Some areas will be more impacted in the short-term (ex. branding, B2C marketing) and prices may be challenged. But we keep a really optimistic view on what's happening. The tougher part of the market is "fundraising". Valuations have been challenged, Funds are more risk-adverse.”
Reda Mahfoud, GM Malt France points out the freelance contribution as a component of corporate agility.
“Trends favor freelancing, and continue to positively drive this market. Freelancing is perceived as a solution to accelerate projects and increasingly appears a safe solution to gain agility and competitiveness in uncertain contexts. Among our biggest corporate clients, few have chosen to slow down the use of freelancers over the last 12 months. This signals that the freelancing market will keeping on growing."
Charly Gaillard, CEO Beager notes important role of government in facilitating rather than retarding freelancing in France.
“More and more people are switching to freelancing. Whether senior employees or students, we see a spike in our French community with various profiles, especially in transition management, programme and project management and digital transformation where there is highest demand. We expect this to continue as companies seek these experts. We also note that industries severely hurt during COVID are recovering fast such as Leisure, Tourism and Transportation. The only changes could come from the law as the French government may decide to adapt some of the numerous existing status, that is why we are very active to see how we can further improve the law to ease this societal change.”
For Marie-Alix Souriseau, Co-Founder, OMS the flexibility of a blended workforce is a significant benefit during times of instability and uncertainty. Business must go on, but the freelance community allows businesses to adjust their workforce up and down more quickly and easily.
“Times of economic instability are a booster for freelancers, and we approach 2023 with great optimism: the freelancing market has reached a real maturity in France (57% of French companies use freelancers) and is getting more and more structured. For instance, in the past 2 years, many large companies have asked us to respond to calls for tender / request for proposals. Freelancing has experienced outstanding growth since 2020 and we believe that the current macro-economic downturn represents a real opportunity for freelancers.
Comments by Leslie Garçon, Co-founder WEEM, reinforce the observation that as more top talents choose freelancing, demand will growth. In the future, the expertise will more likely be freelance that fulltime employee.
“We believe the market of freelancing in France will keep growing, and catch up with the most mature markets. Major groups have tested this new model and adopted it. Large French companies are massively entering the freelance economy. Being independent and part of a freelance community such as WEEM is also increasingly attractive to talents of diverse experiences and backgrounds in consulting or corporate. The agility of the independent model responds to the lack of visibility of companies, especially this year. Hence, demand should grow, with increased pressure on budgets and on the quality of profile selection.”
For Sam Durand, French Future of Work Film Maker, its acknowledgement by HR that freelancers are part of a total workforce strategy.
“The ecosystem of services for freelancers has strengthened and offering real value to those starting out. The number of freelancers in the French talent economy continues to grow. The HR community no longer views freelancers with the same caution as it did a few years ago. Freelancers are increasingly part of the total workforce strategy and no longer considered a default choice. More than a third of CAC40 companies are now using freelance platforms.”
Finally, Martin Videlaine, CEO Bluebirds, notes that freelance growth will be volatile, with macroeconomic challenges continuing to rock the French economy.
"The freelance economy in France is projected to grow by 15% this year and the next, indicating a continued upward trend. Although France has been slow to adopt freelancing, there is significant potential for growth, as we are seeing more clients and prospects in this market. However, the macroeconomic risks such as the war in Ukraine, energy crisis, and tension between the US and China, could have an impact on the industry. Despite these challenges, we remain optimistic about the future of the freelance economy in France and its potential to shape the labor market."
Like the other countries that this series has profiled – Germany and The Netherlands already published, and Spain to come – the long term for freelancing appears to be strong and obvious. The short term, not so easy. But confidence is undeterred.
Viva la Revolution!
