Who Is Still Finding Some Meaning in Their Work?

In 1990, 60% of French people considered work to be "very important in life." By 2021, only 24% still held this view, marking a 36-point decline. The importance of family has also decreased, but only by 10 points, while leisure has gained significance: 31% of French people deemed it very important in life in 1990, compared to 41% in 2021. These figures reflect a long-term decline in the centrality of work, a trend that has been further accelerated by more recent phenomena, partly linked to the pandemic, such as the rise of remote work. These tendencies, particularly pronounced among younger generations, are they observed across all professions? Should we regret them, or rather see them as the consequence of certain social progress, such as a more equitable distribution of household tasks between men and women? How can we reconcile these figures with the persistent issue of involuntary part-time work and the fact that nearly a third of employees in France say they would like to work more? Finally, does this declining commitment to work impact purchasing power, or is it rather the perception that "work no longer pays enough" that is undermining its significance?