France in 2024: Fewer Strikes, Higher Spending

In 2024, France experienced a notable shift in its social and economic landscape: labour unrest hit its lowest point in over 15 years, while government spending continued to climb—fueled mainly by the rising cost of pensions.

Two recent studies – one from the Ministry of Labour’s Dares and another from the Insee – paint a picture of calmer workplaces but heavier public finances.

A Record Drop in Strikes

After a turbulent 2023 marked by mass protests over pension reform, 2024 brought relative calm to France’s labour scene. According to the Dares, only 1.6% of private-sector companies (with more than 10 employees) reported one or more strikes last year, down from 2.7% in 2023.

That’s the lowest level since 2008, signaling a clear retreat from the wide-scale strikes that once disrupted transportation, education, and public services.

Key highlights from the Dares report:

The number of “individual days lost” due to strikes fell by 64%, from 171 days per 1,000 employees in 2023 to only 62 in 2024.
Wage demands and working conditions now drive nearly half (46%) of all remaining strikes.
Inter-professional movements have almost vanished, replaced by smaller, company-specific actions.

This “normalization” follows the resolution of national pension disputes that dominated headlines the previous year.

Public Spending Surges — Pensions Lead the Way

While social tensions eased, the public sector faced a different challenge: rising expenditures.
According to the Insee, France’s public spending jumped 4% in 2024, reaching €1.67 trillion, or 57% of GDP.

More than one-third of this increase stemmed from pension costs alone.

Why the jump?

Pensions were indexed to inflation, meaning retirees’ incomes rose by 5.3% in early 2024.
Overall spending on old age and survivors’ benefits climbed 6.5%, reaching €426.7 billion.
Inflation-adjusted spending increases across welfare, healthcare, and education have added sustained pressure on public finances.

As France continues to age, pensions are expected to remain a dominant budget driver—posing long-term challenges for fiscal balance.

A Calm but Fragile Social Climate

Even as strikes declined, the French social landscape remains tense beneath the surface.
The number of strike days in the public sector dropped sharply from 1.57 million in 2023 to just 736,000 in 2024, but unions report renewed friction over layoffs and funding cuts.

The CGT union recorded more than 300 redundancy plans since late 2023.
Many of these occurred in manufacturing and logistics, sectors hit hardest by slower growth.
As Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu plans to revisit pension reform by the end of 2025, analysts warn that calm could prove temporary.

For now, France enjoys a rare moment of workplace stability—but the debate over sustainable spending and future pension reform is far from over.

What This Means for 2025 and Beyond

France’s 2024 balance sheet tells a mixed story:

Strikes are falling, suggesting stronger negotiation within firms.
Public spending is soaring, hinting at fiscal vulnerabilities tied to demographics and inflation.
Political tension remains latent, especially around pensions and employment stability.

For citizens and observers alike, 2025 may become a test of whether France can sustain economic growth while keeping its famously fervent social movements in check.