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The cross-border dimension in the Territorial Observatory's annual report

Cross-border employment dynamics in France and Europe

In Europe, 2 million people work at least once a week in another country. This figure is rising very sharply and has trebled since 1999. For France, Eurostat estimates that there are 438,000 cross-border workers. Against this backdrop, the report analyses cross-border employment (typology of flows, profile of cross-border workers, etc.) along the borders between France and five neighbouring countries: Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland and Monaco. Pointing out the fact that in certain territories cross-border workers account for up to a third of the labour force, it emphasises the major issues raised in terms of public policy and governance (development of infrastructure, provision of public services, etc.). The report also highlights the dynamism of cross-border work along France's borders, and the potential for growth and cohesion that it represents for territories even if it is still underexploited.

The cross-border dimension addressed in thematic analyses

The report addresses other cross-border issues with respect to topics such as access to housing and disparities in income:

• In border areas close to Switzerland and Luxembourg, "high property prices are combined with the presence of populations whose income is relatively high thanks to access to cross-border employment", but this needs to be set against the fact that "households that do not have Luxembourg or Swiss levels of income find it increasingly difficult to access housing".

• Border areas are also identified, together with the Île de France Region, the areas along the Mediterranean coast and the large metropolitan centres, as "territories characterised by large income disparities".

More info [FR]