Employment: Nearly 4 out of 10 temporary workers are not looking for work, according to a study.

Temporary work no longer really rhymes with plan B or even with precariousness, according to a survey published by the Lyon-based agency Adéquat. 39% of the 4,000 people questioned at the beginning of February ⁽¹⁾ said they were not looking for a job.

"This figure has been steadily increasing since the end of Covid-19. Temporary work is no longer a transitional period , but a real career plan," comments Arnaud Brun, CEO of Adéquat. Among the main motivations that push these workers to regularly change employers depending on the assignments, "the flexibility of work rhythms, the diversity of tasks to be performed and of course the salary which is often better than a permanent contract thanks to the bonuses," lists Arnaud Brun.

Young people under 29 are of course the first to want to stay on a temporary basis, "but more and more seniors are converting to long-term temporary work," reports the director of the temporary employment agency.

Another new factor in this 2025 study on the ambitions of temporary workers is the fact that the work environment and the content of assignments are gaining ground compared to free time. "In the study we conducted last year, salary and work-life balance were the main reasons motivating temporary workers to stay. This year, in addition to salary, it's the atmosphere with colleagues and the confidence of employers in entrusting them with a new assignment that are more important," notes Arnaud Brun.

The value of work and its fair remuneration would therefore be returning to centrality.

(1) Study carried out from February 5 to 18, 2025, on a sample of 4,137 temporary workers, having carried out at least one mission with Adéquet between January ¹ and December 31, 2024.