A study explains how the border phenomenon impacts economic dynamism, particularly in the Thionville basin. The consequences are not only positive.
INSEE looked at employment and the economic fabric in the border employment zones of the Grand Est. More specifically in the employment zones (ZE) of Thionville, Saint-Louis (where nearly one in two employed workers works in Switzerland) and a third territory, facing Germany, made up of the ZE of Forbach, Haguenau, Sarreguemines and Saint-Avold.
Between 2008 and 2019, we learn that Thionville saw its demography evolve by 0.5% per year, while it only increased by 0.2% in the border territories of the region and stagnated at the regional level. This trend is to be credited to cross-border employment, which grew by 2.6%. The number of cross-border workers in the active population of Thionville has increased from 36.1% to 45.3% in one decade. At the same time, the northern Moselle commune saw local employment decrease significantly: – 0.8% per year.
Employment-population growth patterns of border territories between 2008 and 2019
Decline in productive and face-to-face employment
“This is the result of the sharp drop in productive employment (everything that is not present) over the period, which is falling by 0.8% per year, on average, in the region”, specifies INSEE. This decrease concerns all employment zones, except that of Strasbourg. On the other hand, it is in Thionville that the decline is the most significant: – 1.9% per year. The evolution of local employment is generally nuanced by what is known as face-to-face employment – namely local jobs linked to consumption – since they are highly dependent on the evolution of the resident population. However, if local employment is progressing in Saint-Louis (where demography is changing by 0.9% per year and a more specialized economy, in aviation in particular), Thionville, again, is an exception with a drop of 0 .3% per year (while the population is also increasing).
Territories already less well off
Presidential employment rate by territory and activity in 2019
And this while the border territories generally have fewer “local” jobs per inhabitant than on average in the region. “Thionville and Saint-Louis are the two least provided employment areas, with 16.4 and 16.8 (local) jobs per 100 inhabitants, compared to 24.3 across the Grand Est. This rate is also low in the border territory facing Germany: 19.8”, indicates the study. The difference is primarily explained by the absence of a departmental or regional capital in the three border territories. This has the effect of reducing the number of jobs in areas such as administration, education and health. Accommodation and catering is also down, in line with a lesser development of tourism and a weaker presence of business customers. Jobs in the retail trade are also a little less numerous than on average in the Grand Est. “The resident population would transfer part of its consumption to a larger center (Metz, as far as Thionville is concerned) or closer to its place of work, abroad. Despite the higher cost of living, consumers can thus favor purchases in these countries, due to advantageous taxation (gasoline, tobacco, etc.)”, specifies the organization.
The situation has changed over the past 5 years
The study therefore highlights that the productive apparatus of Thionville is not diversifying (and remains very oriented towards industry despite the decline of the sector), in particular because the local workforce (in multiple activities) prefers cross the border. But it also underlines that the boom in cross-border work does not benefit the development of local activities (such as retail trade or accommodation, for example). To put it another way, the dynamism of cross-border employment is a brake on (local) employment in the territory. But let us qualify all the same because the data taken into consideration are those of the population censuses of 2008, 2013 and 2019. However, for four years, Thionville has focused on revitalizing its trade and is committed to creating economic activity by attracting businesses to its territory. A policy that seems to be bearing fruit. Future INSEE studies will confirm this. Or not.
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