Regularization of foreign workers: the list of occupations in demand finally published

It's been a long time coming. Presented by the government to social partners in February, the list of occupations in shortage was published in the Official Journal this Thursday, May 22, after several successive postponements. This update, scheduled annually under the January 2024 immigration law, was scheduled for publication at the end of February before being postponed several times. The latest version dates from 2021.

Established region by region, this list of 80 occupations in need of labor establishes the sectors in which foreign workers can be regularized, by providing proof of twelve months of pay slips over the last 24 months and three years of residence in France. A reform put in place by the immigration law , passed in January 2024.

These sectors under pressure include the hotel and restaurant industry, as well as professions such as "employed farmers," "home helps and housekeepers," and "employed market gardeners/horticulturists." This list therefore allows employers to keep their foreign employees in these professions and avoid a €30,000 fine and five years' imprisonment, as is the case for employing an irregular immigrant.

"We recognize that the hotel and restaurant industry, France's leading recruiter, is a sector under pressure. This is a step forward," congratulates Franck Trouet, general delegate of the Hotel and Restaurant Association, who is nonetheless surprised that only the profession of cook appears on the list in Paris and not those of assistant cook, dishwasher or waiter. Waiter and dishwasher jobs were also not listed in Brittany and Provence-Alpes-Côté d'Azur, even though the summer season is approaching.

According to France Travail, the need for labor in this sector in 2025 is estimated at 336,000 jobs (permanent and fixed-term contracts of more than six months) with recruitment "difficulties" for half of them.

"This list is the result of tensions between the Minister of Labour and the Minister of the Interior and does not take into account the full reality of labour and training needs," pointed out the CGT confederal secretary, Gérard Ré.

This list "articulates the demands of the labor market, human realities, and the country's economic priorities," said Labor Minister Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet in a statement. " Its publication and use go hand in hand with the continuation of our efforts to combat unemployment among foreigners in France and to fill unfilled positions through regular, selective, regulated labor immigration that is consistent with our national interests."

One of the reasons for the delay in publishing the list, which has changed only marginally since its initial presentation in February, could lie with the Minister of the Interior. Bruno Retailleau advocates for a reduction in immigration and wants employers to recruit legal foreigners. But the Beauvau resident had been campaigning to lead the Republicans in recent weeks. He was elected party president on Sunday, four days before the document was published.