Employement and skills development

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France: sectors feel economic slowdown to differing degrees

The latest data on France’s occupational sectors (branches professionnelles), covering the year 2023, show how employment trends are shaping workplace dynamics. After a more favourable period for...

19 December 2025

Germany: apprenticeship openings fall sharply in manufacturing and chemicals

From 1 January 2026, Dutch collective agreements for temporary employment agencies will alter the employment conditions of temp workers. Agencies will be required to pay these workers at least the...

15 December 2025

Spain: new terms and conditions for in-company training contracts

On 25 November, Spain's Council of Ministers approved a regulation on training contracts. This text defines the terms and conditions for hosting work-study students and interns doing professional...

1 December 2025

EU: Commission issues first recommendation on human capital as part of European Semester

In parallel with the European Semester adopted on 25 November, which proposes guidelines to member states on economic policies for the coming year, the European Commission has adopted an...

25 November 2025

Germany: bill adopted to step up fight against illegal employment

On Thursday 13 November, Germany's Bundestag passed a bill to modernise and digitalise the country’s system for tackling undeclared work and financial crime. In future, the relevant department at...

20 November 2025

EU: legislative deal struck to ease international recruitment in shortage occupations

On 18 November, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament reached an agreement on the regulation creating the so-called 'Talent Pool', a digital platform designed to ease recruitment in...

19 November 2025

France: TotalEnergies steps up commitment on disability

On 9 October, French energy group TotalEnergies and all representative trade unions signed a new four-year agreement on disability inclusion. Taking effect on 1 January 2026, the deal aims to help...

13 November 2025

Spain: government approves creation of ‘intern status’

The Spanish government has paved the way for the creation of a new status for "persons undergoing non-professional practical training in companies, institutions or public or private organisations...

7 November 2025

Luxembourg: two pension reform bills submitted to parliament

After lengthy negotiations with the social partners, in mid-October the Luxembourg government submitted two bills to parliament aimed at reforming the pension system to ensure its long-term...

6 November 2025

Germany: pensioners in work already common practice, study shows

As the German government steps up measures to encourage people to stay in work beyond the legal retirement age, a new study by the Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI) – an independent...

6 November 2025

France: social conference on labour and pensions to proceed without main employers’ group

The preparatory meeting ahead of the social conference on labour and pensions, which is set to decide on the pension system model and the funding thereof, was held on 4 November at France's labour...

5 November 2025

Candice Guillot (Talan): “Our recruiters save just over 80 hours per year on administrative tasks thanks to AI”

Candice Guillot, group director of employee experience and HR performance at Talan (7,000 employees), outlines for mind RH her vision and strategy for introducing artificial intelligence at the...

20 October 2025

France: insurance sector becomes first to sign agreement on employment of older workers

On 25 June 2025, France Assureurs – the employers’ association for the insurance industry – and five representative trade unions signed the sector’s first three-year agreement aimed at promoting...

6 October 2025

mind RH analysis – Extending working lives becomes a priority across Europe

Rising life expectancy and ageing populations are prompting more European countries to increase the retirement age in order to safeguard pension systems. Analysis by mind RH found that a third of...

25 September 2025

France: La Poste’s diploma programme for staff helps meet its cybersecurity needs

Between 2024 and the summer of 2025, La Poste Group (200,000 employees in France) created a programme for around 10 employees who were trained and then graduated in cybersecurity with the help of...

19 September 2025

Germany: a quarter of young people favour working for minimum wage over training

The Bertelsmann Foundation, one of Germany's leading think tanks, has published its annual study on prospects in the youth apprenticeship and training sector. The analysis reveals a worrying...

21 July 2025

mind RH analysis – Agreements focused on older workers more common in France but still heavily focused on end-of-career arrangements

At a time when a bill on the employment of experienced workers is about to be adopted in France, mind RH has analysed French company agreements on the employment of older workers that have been...

17 July 2025

EU: social partners in chemicals industry commit to improving working conditions for migrant workers

On 30 June, the European social partners in the chemical industry, the European Chemical Employers Group and the trade union IndustriAll Europe, signed a joint declaration to combat bad practices...

8 July 2025

Denmark: recruitment of foreign workers now subject to signing a collective agreement

On 30 June, the Danish government announced the introduction of a new measure for the recruitment of certain foreign employees. Companies will now have to have a collective agreement between the...

7 July 2025

Société Générale limits remote working to one day a week

Slawomir Krupa, the chief executive of French banking group Société Générale, has announced a reduction in remote working to one day per week, in a message addressed to all company employees...

25 June 2025

United Kingdom: youth employment plan seeks to reduce reliance on foreign workers

Addressing skills shortages and reducing skilled immigration are the objectives of the plan announced on 27 May by UK education secretary Bridget Phillipson. The plan is backed by a £3...

28 May 2025

Germany: government programme of upcoming coalition gives prominence to labour matters

On 9 April, at the end of four weeks of negotiations, Germany's conservative (CDU and CSU) and social democratic (SPD) parties presented a government programme that sets out the guidelines for...

14 April 2025

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France: Orange submits gender equality agreement – including AI provisions – for union approval

The three representative trade unions at Orange France have until 10 December to validate an agreement on gender equality, work–life balance and anti-discrimination measures. While the text...

8 December 2025

mind RH analysis – Initial findings from CSRD social indicators

In 2025, for the first time, the universal registration documents of major European companies contain the sustainability reporting required by the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive...

31 October 2025