The independent professionals as providers of jobs. A survey carried out in Spring 2006 in France

: A survey based on postal questionnaire was carried out in France in Spring 2006 among a sample of 4100 independent professionals from 8 occupations: architects, lawyers, notaries, physicians, dentists, biologists, accountants and sellers of insurance contracts. The objective of the survey is to assess the pool of new jobs which may be created by the independent professionals whose the number in France is approximatively 550000 (total population of France in early 2006 : 62.9 millions). Legally and financially, an independent professional can conduct his business in his own office or within a society gathering several professionals. In the first case (called "solo practice") he may be helped by salaried employees and, recently by other professionals who act as associates. In the second case (called "society practice") he is one of the partners of the society which has generally one or several salaried employees. After the answers gathered by the survey, the number of jobs that the professionals envisage to create during one year is rather important. In the low variant, it is estimated 165200 posts, in the high variant, it may reach 226000 posts. These numbers include salaried employees and professional associates. They cover newly created posts and vacant posts filled in by newcomers. In other words, every 100 French independent professionals plan to create during the coming year between 30 and 41 jobs.