Data study ·
7% of tech companies have cut staff because of AI
Original title, in French: “7% des entreprises de la tech ont réduit leurs effectifs à cause de l'IA”
- Publication
- Journal du Net (France)
- Author
- Benjamin Polge
- Published on
- 16 September 2026 · read in the page structured data
Summary
Conducted in March 2026 among 606 French digital, engineering and consulting companies, Opiiec's first barometer measures the impact of generative AI on employment. According to the study, 7% of companies have reduced their workforce because of AI, mainly among very small companies and chiefly in development and marketing roles. Conversely, 9% have created AI-dedicated roles (AI project manager, data scientist, etc.) and 8% have strengthened certain teams. Opiiec also notes a decline in the hiring of junior profiles. In addition, 63% of companies report a need for AI training, but only 20% have formalised it, with the most requested topics being AI tools and prompt mastery.
Summary based on the full text of the article.
Read the article on Journal du Net →Figures cited
-
7 %
share of companies that have reduced their workforce because of AI
606 French digital, engineering and consulting companies, March 2026
« 7% des entreprises interrogées ont déclaré avoir réduit leurs effectifs en raison de l’arrivée de l’IA. »
Source: Opiiec, Baromètre de l'intelligence artificielle, vague 1, 2026
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53 %
share of workforce reductions occurring in companies with fewer than 10 employees
among companies that have reduced their workforce
« 53% des cas concernent des entreprises de moins de 10 salariés et 31% des entreprises de 10 à 49 salariés. »
Source: Opiiec, Baromètre de l'intelligence artificielle, vague 1, 2026
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9 %
share of companies that have created an AI-dedicated role
606 French companies, March 2026
« 9 % ont créé des postes dédiés à l'IA »
Source: Opiiec, Baromètre de l'intelligence artificielle, vague 1, 2026
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8 %
share of companies that have strengthened their workforce in certain occupations
606 French companies, March 2026
« 8 % ont renforcé leurs effectifs sur certains métiers »
Source: Opiiec, Baromètre de l'intelligence artificielle, vague 1, 2026
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63 %
share of companies reporting a need for AI training
606 French companies, March 2026
« 63% expriment un besoin, mais seules 20% l’ont clairement formalisé. »
Source: Opiiec, Baromètre de l'intelligence artificielle, vague 1, 2026
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20 %
share of companies that have formalised an AI training need
606 French companies, March 2026
« 63% expriment un besoin, mais seules 20% l’ont clairement formalisé. »
Source: Opiiec, Baromètre de l'intelligence artificielle, vague 1, 2026
Classification
- Country
- France
- Company size
- Micro-businesses, SMEs, Mid-sized companies
- Industries
- Software vendors, IT services companies, telecoms · Consulting, legal, accounting, business services
- Companies
- Opiiec (study author)
- Keywords
- employment, workforce, opiiec barometer, training, roles created, generative ai
Entry written by Marsanne Studio from the cited article, with the help of an AI model (claude-sonnet-5). The rights to the article and its illustrations belong to Journal du Net and its author. Entry translated from French by Claude Sonnet 5.5.