European office conveyed that France has decided to partially open up its labour market to workers from central and eastern Europe, starting with sectors with labour shortages.
Following the debate in the French cabinet on Monday (13 February), Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said Paris would lift the existing barriers in a "gradual and controlled" manner, and according to a plan agreed by the country's trade unions.
Social partners are mostly in favour of the immediate lifting of the temporary measures, introduced to the post-communist countries which joined the EU in May 2004.
The areas where France registers a high number of unfilled job positions include social and health care, hotels and restaurants, construction and transport.
In 2003, there were about 300,000 vacancies in those areas, according to media reports.
However, it is feared that too fast a move to let new workers into the country would lead to negative public opinion, as France has a 9.6 percent unemployment rate, with around 20 percent of the jobless among young people aged between 18 and 25 years.
The decision on work restrictions comes amid a heated domestic debate about a new labour law passed by the French parliament last week.
The legislation makes it easier for employers to hire and fire under-26-year-olds, with student activists accusing the government of unfair treatment over social protection compared to their older colleagues.
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