Beyond Unemployment Rates: Interesting Figures Emerge from Recent Employment Indicators
Beyond the unemployment rate itself, certain figures from the recently published employment indicators by the National Institute of Statistics (INS) are worth discussing.
Return to Pre-COVID Employment Levels
The number of employed individuals has reached 3.609 million, confirming a return to pre-COVID employment levels. It has taken five years to recover the jobs lost during the health crisis. It is essential to note that the impact of recent labor code reforms has not been a determining factor in this recovery, as there has been no significant increase in net job creation during the second quarter of the year.
Shift in the Distribution of the Employed Population
Notable evolutions have affected the distribution of the employed population. In March 2020, 73.3% of workers were men, whereas by the end of the first half of 2025, this percentage has dropped to 70.2%. Men have lost 81,000 jobs, while women have gained 125,000. What explanations can be put forward for this trend?
Factors Contributing to the Shift
On the one hand, the deterioration of household economic situations, particularly after COVID, has pushed many women to join the labor market. On the other hand, the number of female graduates now far exceeds that of male graduates, giving them a decisive advantage in accessing employment. It is sufficient to look at the composition of new high school graduates to realize that the job market will continue to feminize progressively in the years to come. This is not without significant social and demographic implications that need to be studied seriously.
