The number of civil servants has continued to increase since the 1990s. In 2022 again, public employment increased by 0.3%, with 17,300 more civil servants than in 2021.
70% of French people believe that public services have deteriorated in recent years. But no mammoth downsizing is in sight, despite the worrying deterioration of public finances. The civil service is the largest employer in France, which today has 5.7 million employees. It is also the biggest employer of women in France. The number of women working in the civil service has increased by 20% in the last five years. The figure for women in the public service has risen by 10% in that time. The total number of female employees in the French civil service stands at 5.4 million, up from 5.3 million in 2000. The average female worker in the France civil service works for just over 30 hours a week. The rate of female workers in France is 7.2% compared to 6.7% in Germany.