DECRYPTION – The contingent of agents has continued to increase for twenty years. In certain areas of the civil service, staff numbers have even soared, without it always being possible to make a link with the services provided.
Are there, yes or no, too many civil servants in France? In these times of budgetary scarcity, the question arises, more burning than ever, at the top of the State. And the government formed around Michel Barnier does not hesitate to answer in the affirmative. Guest on the show “The event” this Thursday, the Prime Minister put forward several avenues aimed at reducing the number of civil service agents, such as “merger of services” or the “non-replacement” people retiring. Measures which would, according to him, allow “gain a few points of GDP” and to recover part of the 40 billion in savings that the country desperately needs to complete its next budget.
According to official figures, France had 5.67 million agents in 2023, distributed between “state civil service” (2.52 million agents), the “territorial public service” (1.94 million agents) and the “hospital public service” (1.21 million agents). From 1997 to 2022, the number of civil service employees increased by 23%, compared to 18% for people employed in the private sector and 14% for the French population. France ranks 7th among OECD countries where public employment is the highest in total employment. It is certainly less greedy in…
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