In an uncertain political and economic environment in France and internationally, job creation in French Tech proved robust again in 2024, despite a dip in the summer. French startups generated over 18,000 jobs, an increase of almost 6% year-on-year.
Over the last 4 years, however, employment growth has slowed significantly since the second half of 2023, from 13.3% in 2021 to 9.1% in 2023, then to 5.8% last year.
Guillaume Buffet
Numeum director in charge of the startup support program
Driven by AI and greentech, job creation in startups remained in positive territory month after month throughout 2024, demonstrating once again the robustness of French Tech, despite the downturn in funding and macroeconomic uncertainties.
Nearly 1,900 AI players in all sectors of the French economy
AI and data are among the top three job-creating technologies. AI is particularly associated with healthtech, martech and deeptech.
There are almost 1,900 startups in the AI field, employing over 50,000 people. These companies have raised nearly 90 rounds of financing, representing a total of €1.7 billion, mainly in the Paris region (97% of the amounts raised in this field).
Île-de-France will account for 56% of job creation in 2024
Taking all technologies together, over 10,000 jobs were created in the Paris Basin last year, representing 56% of the national total (down 10 points on 2022). French Tech has created jobs in virtually every region of France, although the Île-de-France region and the southern half of the country account for most of the jobs created.
Greentech, the most job-generating sector in 2024
In terms of sectors covered by French Tech, greentech remains the most dynamic, with over 4,000 jobs created, followed by manufacturing and IT services – it’s worth noting that jobs in greentech startups, like those in manufacturing, are mostly located in the regions. By contrast, fintech and martech are marking time in terms of job creation.
Methodology
- The French startup employment barometer is based on AI analysis of a sample of over 13,000 French startups in 2024.
- Each month, the jobs created and eliminated by each startup in the sample are counted (as declared by employees on professional social networks).
- Each startup is classified by AI, according to its field of activity, the technologies it masters and its location.
- This barometer is based on a constant sample. It therefore takes no account of startup creations or closures over a calendar year.
- The data presented is limited to the sample, but can be extrapolated to all French startups. They concern direct employment only.
What will it be like in 2025? Numeum invites you to visit: https: //barometrestartups.fr/
