39 occupational integration after three years for graduates awarded a PhD in 2010

Since 2007, the unemployment rate for PhD graduates after three years has stabilised at 10%. This trend continued for those graduating in 2010 with an unemployment rate that was lower than that of university Master's graduates and higher than that of graduates from the Grandes Ecoles. Despite this stabilising trend, occupational integration differs across subject areas and employment conditions after 3 years depend very much on the occupation.

PhD students graduating in 2010 made up a population that was slightly less feminised and from a more privileged social background than most of those leaving higher education, but they entered working life in a difficult economic climate. However, in contrast to the other higher education graduates (apart from graduates from the Grandes Ecoles), their unemployment rate three years after graduation has not worsened, despite varying from one subject area to another (chart 39.01). In 2013, those with a PhD in Engineering sciences (6%) and Computer science and electronics (5%) were least affected by unemployment. In Law, Economics and Management and in Arts, fewer than 10% of PhD graduates were unemployed 3 years after graduating. In Humanities and Social sciences, Chemistry and Earth and Life Sciences, unemployment was above this 10% threshold (chart 39.02). Apart from these subject-related factors, the conditions under which PhD graduates had worked on their thesis were a determining factor in their occupational integration. Those who had been able to obtain an Industrial Agreement for Training through Research (Convention industrielle de formation et de recherche - CIFRE), a doctoral contract or a thesis allowance and those who had been employed as a 'coordinator' were less likely to be unemployed.

At the time that they presented their thesis, 21% of PhD graduates hoped to work in research in industry, while 58% wanted to work in public and academic research. This proportion had fallen 10 points in relation to graduates from the 2007 generation. The growth in assistance provided for integration into the workforce has contributed to encouraging a growing proportion of PhD graduates to consider a career away from public and academic research.

Three years after presenting their thesis, 47% of graduates were working in research in academia and the public sector, 20% were in R&D in the private sector, 17% were in the private sector but not in research and 15% were in the public sector and not in research. More than 50% of PhD graduates who had had a doctoral contract or a thesis allowance and had been a coordinator had a job in public and academic research, 40% of those who had had a CIFRE were working in R&D in the private sector in 2013 (chart 39.03).

After three years in the workplace, PhD graduates, along with engineers, were among the best paid of those leaving higher education. Those that were the best paid were working in private research, most on open-ended employment contracts (88%) and were very satisfied with their jobs. Pay in public and academic research was lower and almost 47% of PhD graduates were still on fixed-term contracts in 2013. Almost a third of PhD graduates in non-research posts considered that they were employed below their level of ability. Those who were most dissatisfied with their professional situation and the least well paid were those in the public sector, not in research (table 39.04).

Julien Calmand