Tracker
Demand Tracker of IT projects for freelancers, France
Last update: 2023-10-30
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If you are new read this, otherwise go straight to the charts
Am I the only freelancer suffering from a decreasing demand?
Are you no longer receiving propositions as frequently as before? Is the client’s sole focus securing the lowest rate possible? Are projects now shorter in duration? And what about remote job offers? Have they decreased even more compared to pre-pandemic times?
Can we blame intermediaries for this situation? Is the market overcrowded with individuals leaving their jobs and taking advantage of “chômage”?
The goal of this page is to provide you with an overview of the demand for IT freelancers in France. It may not fully reflect the market, as it is based on the information we could gather from various sources. Now, let’s examine the extent of the damage, who is affected, and what the current demand looks like.
Perimeter
Date: From May 2023
Projects: 33k job offers for freelancers in IT / Tech / Data
Demand Dynamics
For the fourth consecutive week, we’ve observed over 2,000 job listings per week, marking October as the strongest month on record since data collection began. This may suggest a strong and sustained demand for freelancers.
Rate Trends
Demand has seen fluctuations, yet the rates remain remarkably stable since our data tracking began, with the maximum rate hovering around 540€ and the minimum near 430€. A simulation on the platform Portageo indicates that a daily rate of 500€ equates to a net monthly salary of approximately 4,600€.
Experience Metrics
Aggregate Demand by Experience
Half of the demand targets senior professionals with 5-10 years of experience, underscoring that expertise is a key driver for clients looking for freelancers. Intermediate levels also hold a significant share, likely as clients seek cost-effective alternatives. Entry-level engineers represent a minimal portion, while experts constitute less than 8%. This might indicate a limited demand for top-tier expertise or the possibility that clients use alternative channels to source them.
Experience-wise Demand Trends
The 5-10 year experience bracket is still showing a consistent upward trajectory, at the expense of entry level and intermediet professionals.
Experience-Adjusted Rates
Rates plateau for those with less than 5 years of experience, followed by a subsequent rise. You get around 16€/day premiuum for every incremental year of experience.
Most popular languages and skills
Overall there’s a significant emphasis on data management and programming capabilities in the current freelance market landscape.
| Rank | Skill | Percentage of jobs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Data | 19 % |
| 2 | SQL | 19 % |
| 3 | SAP | 15 % |
| 4 | Java | 16 % |
| 5 | Python | 8 % |
Geographic Distribution
Paris-IDF vs. Rest of Market
Paris and region dominate in terms of project location. However, there’s a noticeable trend towards an increasing number of job opportunities en Province.
Remote Work Trends
The proportion of fully remote positions remains minimal, with no evident shift in client preferences on the matter.
Remote Work Rate Dynamics
Full remote roles pay more, but the gap is closing.
Remote Work by Experience
Senior professionals have most remote opportunities, while both entry-level and highly experienced professionals find limited full-remote positions.
Sectoral Demand: SAP
SAP is the still the best market predictor you can get.
Most popular languages and skills
Overall there’s a significant emphasis on data management and programming capabilities in the current freelance market landscape.
| Rank | Skill | Percentage of jobs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Data | 19 % |
| 2 | SQL | 19 % |
| 3 | SAP | 15 % |
| 4 | Java | 16 % |
| 5 | Python | 8 % |
Language Proficiency and Rates
Positions requiring English proficiency carry a €26 premium on average
However, note that 25% of job listings already specify English proficiency.
Upcoming Analyses
That concludes today’s insights. Future directions:
- Weekly data refresh
- Advanced NLP analysis on job titles and descriptions (a long-standing item on our agenda)
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