Syntec Numérique calls for skilled employment to be included in SME hiring incentives
Employment and recruitment by small and medium-sized businesses are recurring issues. The “Embauche PME” scheme is a positive first step. However, in Syntec Numérique’s opinion, it does not meet all the expectations and growth challenges of the economy, and particularly of the digital sector, due to its terms and eligibility criteria.
The union believes that recruitment subsidies should also be directed towards high value-added jobs, in order to support and guarantee the competitiveness of growing sectors where competition is fierce and global. The digital sector is one of the few net job creators, creating 12,000 jobs in 20141! Currently buoyed by government news with the Lemaire bill and the strategy for new economic opportunities, it seems paradoxical that the digital sector cannot benefit from the measures decided by this same government to support its growth.
“We need to strengthen and preserve our competitiveness, including in relation to other European countries, by reducing labor costs. In France, the hourly cost of programming, consulting and other IT activities is one of the highest in Europe, comments VéroniqueTorner, President of Syntec Numérique’s SME Commission.. The new recruitment incentive scheme presented yesterday will have little impact on the IT sector, as the average salary in this sector is higher than in other sectors. Targeting higher-skilled, higher-paid jobs (up to 3.5 Smic) would make us more competitive. Political understanding of the issues is not enough, we need to take action to make digital a real lever for growth”.
1source BIPE, ACOSS 2014 data processing