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The rise of generative artificial intelligence is raising questions about its effects on employment. From substitution at work to productivity gains that could stimulate demand for labour, the aggregate net effect is still uncertain, with certain workers at risk. At a time when France risks falling behind competitively, public authorities will need to provide support to facilitate AI’s adoption and the occupational transition of affected workers.

2026-06-30T00:00:00+02:00<p>Artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities have rapidly advanced with the rise of large language models (LLMs) and generative AI, offering new opportunities for automation in every industry of the economy.&nbsp;</p> <p>As with previous technological revolutions, AI has provoked unease: according to the <em>Barom&egrave;tre du num&eacute;rique</em> 2025, a survey on the use of digital technologies, 62% of French people think it puts jobs at risk.&nbsp;</p> <p>AI may affect the volume of employment through two opposing channels: (i) it could replace some workers whose tasks can be automated, and (ii) it could increase worker productivity and stimulate labour demand.&nbsp;</p> <p>Empirical studies cannot determine the total effect of AI on employment, due to a lack of temporal perspective and the fact that AI adoption by firms remains modest. However, certain trends could be linked to the emergence of AI. The first rounds of redundancies attributable to AI are mainly in the most exposed industries (finance and IT), although AI adoption is sometimes used as a cover for other reasons for redundancies. Furthermore, there appears to be a slowdown in the employment of young workers.</p> <p>During previous technological revolutions, the jobs created by new technologies offset those lost, and the nature of work was deeply transformed. In light of this, public policy measures must provide support, particularly in the area of training, to workers so they can retrain when their jobs are put at risk by AI, and foster AI&rsquo;s diffusion across the economy.</p> <p>In a globally competitive environment, investing in AI is necessary to support competitiveness &ndash; and therefore employment &ndash; as remaining competitive will be increasingly tied to the adoption of AI.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="marge" src="/Articles/b58927bc-e58d-488e-b89c-d02f3d9447d5/images/070b93f6-3d32-4747-b04f-f04cf3526307" alt="Visuel TE-391en" /></p>7ceccf6c-77a5-4d7d-b40f-732f1de5260d

Competition, often associated with consumer protection, is a vehicle for business growth and innovation since it drives balanced trade relations and the selection of efficient firms. Yet, too much competition can curb investment capacities, if not the incentive to innovate. In line with the Draghi Report, the EU is upgrading its merger controls in a move that could facilitate mergers that generate efficiency and competitiveness.

2026-02-12T00:00:00+01:00<p>Competition on a market drives down prices, improves quality and diversifies the supply of goods and services for the benefit of households and businesses. In addition to these effects on each product or market, healthy competition is key for economic growth (e.g. through business creation, see Chart). A lack of competition in the upstream value chain can increase the cost of intermediate goods for downstream businesses. Moreover, competition drives selection of the most efficient businesses and encourages them to stand out by investing and innovating.&nbsp;</p> <p>Nevertheless, too much competitive pressure can sometimes harm businesses. By reducing markups, it can limit their ability to finance investment and curb the incentive to innovate when the future return on an innovation is lower. In some sectors, such as tech and manufacturing, moderate concentration can generate economies of scale through lower production costs from increased production volumes, support R&amp;D and increase competitiveness.</p> <p>Competition policy is currently being upgraded and is widely seen as necessary by stakeholders. The review of the EU merger guidelines launched by the European Commission aims to give more weight to innovation, sustainability and resilience criteria in merger cost-benefit analysis. By better accounting for efficiency gains associated with consolidation, some mergers that increase competitiveness and innovation could be more easily approved.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="marge" src="/Articles/7ceccf6c-77a5-4d7d-b40f-732f1de5260d/images/9b41a8d7-f0ce-4361-a3e1-837135855686" alt="Visuel TE 381en" /></p>