French employment, in plain language.
22 French employment terms explained in English, with practical distinctions and official references.
22 terms
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Open-ended employment contract — CDI
An employment contract without a predetermined end date. It can still end under the applicable rules.
Practical point: Also review duties, working time and termination conditions.
Fixed-term employment contract — CDD
A fixed-term contract made within a specific legal framework. Review the reason, end date or event and conditions together.
Practical point: The word “temporary” does not explain the legal reason for the contract.
Probationary period — Période d’essai
An initial period, where provided for, to assess the role and employee’s suitability. Rules depend on the contract and applicable framework.
Practical point: Distinguish contractual probation from a recruitment assessment.
Collective agreement — Convention collective
A negotiated agreement setting rules within an occupational or industry scope. It complements statutory rules on the matters it covers.
Practical point: Find the agreement applying to the employer, rather than relying only on your occupation.
Collective agreement identifier — IDCC
An identifier for a French collective agreement. It helps locate the exact agreement when names are similar.
Practical point: Record both the name and identifier, then check the agreement’s scope.
Gross salary — Salaire brut
Pay before employee deductions. Interpret it with the pay period, working time and included components.
Practical point: Compare offers using the same annual basis and working-time assumptions.
Net salary — Salaire net
Pay after deductions, with different meanings for take-home pay before tax, taxable net and the amount actually paid.
Practical point: Avoid treating one gross-to-net percentage as valid for every employment status.
National register of professional qualifications — RNCP
The French national register of professional qualifications. Records describe skills, qualification level and competency units.
Practical point: Check the active record and the provider’s authorisation to prepare the qualification.
Specific register — Répertoire spécifique (RS)
A register of certifications and authorisations for complementary professional skills, distinct from the RNCP.
Practical point: Do not automatically present an RS listing as a diploma with an RNCP qualification level.
Competency unit — Bloc de compétences
A structured set of skills within an RNCP qualification. Check assessment requirements in the record and with the awarding body.
Practical point: Check what the unit validates and what remains for the full qualification.
Career development advice — CEP
Conseil en évolution professionnelle: free, personalised advice to examine a career plan and its steps.
Practical point: Find the operator suited to your situation before booking.
Supervised professional immersion — PMSMP
A supervised workplace immersion arranged under an agreement to explore an occupation or clarify a career plan.
Practical point: Ask the referring organisation about the framework, objectives and authorised activities.
Transferable skill — Compétence transférable
A skill acquired in one setting that can be applied in another, allowing for different tasks, responsibilities and environments.
Practical point: Provide specific evidence and describe remaining learning needs.
Establishment identifier — SIRET
An identifier for an organisation’s establishment. It helps match legal information with a location.
Practical point: A real identifier can be copied: it does not authenticate a message sender.
Organisation identifier — SIREN
An organisation identifier, distinct from each establishment’s SIRET. One organisation can have several locations.
Practical point: Distinguish the brand, legal employer and recruiting establishment.
Principal activity code — Code APE / NAF
A code describing an organisation’s or establishment’s principal activity in the activity classification.
Practical point: This is not an individual occupation or sufficient proof of the applicable collective agreement.
ILO unemployment — Chômage au sens du BIT
A statistical measure based on employment status, job search and availability. It differs from administrative registration with France Travail.
Practical point: Read the period, population scope and definition alongside the figure.
Potential additional labour force — Halo autour du chômage
People without employment who are close to the labour market but do not meet all ILO unemployment criteria, notably active search or availability.
Practical point: Do not add it to the unemployment rate without explaining the resulting measure.
Employment rate — Taux d’emploi
The share of employed people in a defined population, such as an age group. Its denominator differs from the unemployment rate.
Practical point: Compare rates for the same population and period.
Employer recruitment needs survey — BMO
France Travail’s Besoins en main-d’œuvre survey of employers’ stated recruitment plans.
Practical point: Plans are neither all published vacancies nor guaranteed hires.
Seasonal recruitment — Saisonnalité des recrutements
Recruitment or activity linked to a season, with timing depending on the industry and location.
Practical point: Confirm dates, duration and conditions with the employer.
Recruitment difficulties — Difficultés de recrutement
Difficulties reported by employers in a survey, depending on its scope, period and occupations covered.
Practical point: Reported difficulties do not guarantee hiring or remove entry requirements.
The English explanations describe French concepts; they do not establish equivalence with another country’s law. Check the official reference for your own situation.