Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in France

France: Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) was 1,167 in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
1,167
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
15th
of 88 countries
All-time high
1,251
in 2021
All-time low
356.57
in 1999
Years of data
27
1998–2024

Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in France, 1998–2024

4006008001.0k1.2k1998201120241998: 379.61999: 356.62000: 386.42001: 376.72002: 409.32003: 625.72004: 647.22005: 610.62006: 6222007: 5992008: 5792009: 624.82010: 634.62011: 667.52012: 663.32013: 5462014: 984.82015: 1.0k2016: 1.0k2017: 989.62018: 983.72019: 952.22020: 1.2k2021: 1.3k2022: 1.1k2023: 1.2k2024: 1.2k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2024, potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) in France stood at 1,167.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 18.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) in France peaked at 1,251 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 356.57, in 1999.

That places France 15th out of 88 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.

Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in France, year by year

Annual values for Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+) in France, 1998 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1998 379.57
1999 356.57 -6.1%
2000 386.36 +8.4%
2001 376.66 -2.5%
2002 409.31 +8.7%
2003 625.74 +52.9%
2004 647.25 +3.4%
2005 610.56 -5.7%
2006 622.03 +1.9%
2007 599.01 -3.7%
2008 579.05 -3.3%
2009 624.75 +7.9%
2010 634.58 +1.6%
2011 667.49 +5.2%
2012 663.27 -0.6%
2013 546.04 -17.7%
2014 984.79 +80.4%
2015 1,002 +1.8%
2016 1,013 +1.1%
2017 989.63 -2.3%
2018 983.66 -0.6%
2019 952.25 -3.2%
2020 1,201 +26.1%
2021 1,251 +4.2%
2022 1,141 -8.8%
2023 1,153 +1.1%
2024 1,167 +1.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 368.07 356.57 379.57 2
2000s 548.07 376.66 647.25 10
2010s 843.66 546.04 1,013 10
2020s 1,183 1,141 1,251 5

Countries ranked near France

  1. 12 Philippines 1,234 compare
  2. 13 Guatemala 1,217 compare
  3. 14 Germany 1,181 compare
  4. 16 Zambia 952.65 compare
  5. 17 Chile 951.13 compare
  6. 18 United Kingdom 949.25 compare

See the full ranking of 88 places →

More work & labour data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) in France?
Potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) in France was 1,167 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in France?
The highest recorded value was 1,251 in 2021.
What is the lowest potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 356.57 in 1999.
How does France rank for potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
France ranks 15th out of 88 countries with data for 2024.
Is potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is up 18.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this France data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in France. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/potential-labour-force-previous-ilo-definition-icls13-15/france/

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About this data

Indicator
Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
88 places, 1,493 data points, 1987–2025
Last refreshed

With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. The potential labour force refers to persons not in employment who express an interest in this form of work but for whom existing conditions limit their active job search and/or their availability. This group is used to calculate alternative measures of labour underutilization. Data disaggregated by level of education are provided on the highest level of education completed, classified according to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCED. For more information, refer to the Education and Mismatch Indicators (EMI) database description.