At the same time, the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research is publishing two Flash Notes on the professional integration of graduates in 2023. The first concerns engineering and management graduates, whose rate of salaried employment is 78.5% for engineers and 68% for management graduates. The second of these Notes focuses on bachelor's and master's graduates, for whom the rate of integration into working life is 71.4% for master's graduates, 54% for general bachelor's graduates and 80% for professional bachelor's graduates. Overall, these results are holding up well, despite slight declines here and there.

The Statistical Studies Department of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research regularly publishes figures on the state of higher education and research in France, in terms of enrolment, funding, degrees and professional integration. This is the case with these two Flash Notes, which take stock of the employment rates of two categories of graduates: students from business and engineering schools, and those who have completed studies leading to a bachelor's degree (professional and general) and a master's degree. To carry out this type of study, the Ministry reconciles administrative files (students/employment), in order to measure and qualify the professional integration of higher education graduates.

"The salaried employment rate in France of 2023 graduates of bac+5 engineering and management programs at 6, 12 and 18 months". This is the title of the first of these Notes, which highlights two figures: the salaried employment rate of 2023 engineering graduates not continuing their studies stands at 78.5% 18 months after graduation, while it reaches 68% for management graduates.

Noting that "salaried employment in France is down on the previous graduating class", the Note points out that this decline is not general. For example, among the engineering graduates of 2023 who did not continue or resume their studies in France, the percentage of 78.5% who are employed in France 18 months after graduation is slightly up (+1.3 points) on their situation 12 months after graduation. According to the Ministry, the rate of salaried employment in France for the class of 2023 engineering graduates is nevertheless down on the previous year (-1.2 points), and less marked for women (-0.7 points).

Similarly, among 2023 bac+5 management graduates who had not continued their studies, 68% were in paid employment in France 18 months after graduation, up 1.8 points on their situation 12 months after graduation. Here too, the Note points out, the rate of salaried employment in France for the 2023 graduating class of Bac+5 management graduates is "significantly lower than that of the previous graduating class" (-3 points compared to 2022). The decline is more marked for men (3.7 points versus 2.1 points for women).

In more detail, the Ministry notes that the rate of salaried employment in France is higher for female engineering and management graduates than for men. Nevertheless, salaries are still higher for men: for engineering graduates, men's net monthly salary is between €2,260 and €2,790, while for women it is between €2,160 and €2,730. The situation is identical for management graduates: men's salaries range from €2,390 to €3,140, and women's from €2,250 to €2,920.

However, 18 months after graduation, the majority of graduates from engineering and management training programs holding salaried jobs in France are employed on permanent contracts (87.9% and 83.7% respectively).

The second Flash Note, entitled "The salaried employment rate in France of 2023 professional, general and master's degree graduates", shows an overall " decline on the previous year" for all degrees and all subject areas: 80% of 2023 professional degree graduates (down 1.8 points on 2022) and 71.4% of master's degree graduates are in salaried employment in France at 18 months (down 2.3 points on the class of 2022).

In the case of the general bachelor's degree, which "has not yet been designed for professional integration due to its largely theoretical content", 18 months after graduation, only 54% of graduates are in paid employment in France (-2.2 points compared to the previous year's graduating class). But, as the Note points out, after obtaining a general bachelor's degree, "the logical next step for students is to continue their studies".

More specifically, there are differences according to field of study. Graduates of the Science-Technology-Health specialization find it easier to enter the job market. In this sector, the rate of salaried employment in France at 18 months is the highest: 84.4% for professional license graduates, 58.1% for general license graduates and 73.6% for Master's graduates.

Similarly, it is easier for women to enter the job market, with the exception of professional license graduates. For Master's graduates, the rate of salaried employment in France for women 18 months after graduation is 71.8%, compared with 70.8% for men. However, here again, salaries are higher for men, for both Master's and Licence Professionnelle graduates. There is a slight downside for general bachelor's degree graduates, where the gap in favor of men is smaller: for half of men, net monthly salary is between €1,410 and €1,870, compared with a range of €1,400 to €1,840 for women.

• Note on the integration of management and engineering graduates
• Note on the integration of Bachelor's and Master's graduates