Labor market growth remains steady in 2025

The labor market in French Polynesia continued to grow in 2025, with a 2.5 percent increase in declared salaried jobs compared to 2024. This added 1,810 net new jobs over the year, showing a slightly slower pace than the 2.9 percent growth seen in the previous year but still indicating a strong and consistent economic expansion.

Tertiary sector leads job creation

The tertiary sector, which includes services like hospitality and trade, was the main driver of job growth, contributing nearly two-thirds of the total increase. Hospitality and catering saw a 3.8 percent rise in employment, reaching 9,000 workers, while transport and warehousing also grew by 2.5 percent, aided by increases in air and maritime transport.

Primary and construction sectors show improvement

The primary sector, which includes agriculture and forestry, saw a notable 4.2 percent increase in employment. Construction also rebounded, growing by 2.6 percent, driven by major and secondary construction projects. Industry added 1.7 percent to its workforce, largely due to the agro-food sector.

Purchasing power sees modest improvement

Employee purchasing power improved slightly in 2025, with average gross salaries rising by 1.5 percent to 363,400 francs per month. This outpaced the 1.3 percent rise in consumer prices, helping to maintain a positive purchasing power trend. However, half of all employees earned less than 240,200 francs gross per month, and 21 percent earned below the minimum wage.

Small businesses dominate employment

The local economy remains heavily reliant on small businesses, with 85 percent of the 6,870 employers operating with fewer than ten employees. Medium-sized companies, however, were the strongest contributors to job growth in 2025, adding 1.9 percentage points to the overall 2.5 percent increase in employment.

Gender wage gap persists but narrows

Gender disparities in wages still exist in French Polynesia, though the gap has narrowed over time. Women’s average net salaries are 7 percent lower than men’s, largely due to higher rates of part-time work among women. However, when comparing equal working time, the gap is only 0.8 percent in favor of men, with differences varying between the private and public sectors.