The New Economic Frontier

At 6 AM in La Défense, Europe's largest business district, Amadou Diallo begins his day analyzing global markets from the trading floor of Société Générale. Three hundred kilometers south in Nice, Sarah Martinez welcomes the first guests to her boutique hotel overlooking the Mediterranean. In the Sentier district of Paris, Chen Wei puts finishing touches on code that will power a fintech startup's new mobile payment system. These three professionals—representing finance, tourism, and technology—embody France's service economy, which now accounts for nearly 80% of GDP and employs three-quarters of the workforce.

The transformation from an industrial to a service-dominated economy represents one of the most profound shifts in French economic history. This change goes beyond simple sectoral reallocation—it fundamentally alters how value is created, how work is organized, and how France positions itself in the global economy. This chapter explores the rise of services, examining both traditional strengths like tourism and emerging sectors like digital technology, while considering what this shift means for workers, regions, and France's economic future.