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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
National
RFI

French restaurants face hiring crisis with 120,000 empty posts

A waiter clears a table at a restaurant in Lyon, France. AP - Pavel Golovkin

French restaurants are struggling to hire staff, and employees often only stay for a few months. According to unions, the sector’s declining appeal is largely due to low wages and difficult working conditions.

In 2025, there were more than 120,000 vacant restaurant jobs, according to state employment agency France Travail. And since the Covid-19 pandemic, staff turnover has exceeded 50 percent.

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