drog1998

My wife and i are thinking of moving to France but have no idea on where we'd like to live. Ideally we'd like to live towards the south where it's warmer and close to the coast. We're both still in our 30's and have to work so being close to city would help for jobs.

Any suggestions or experiences?

Thanks.

Chatter Static

Finding work is very hard in France at the moment, So im assuming you will be coming with a buffer for a couple of years can by a house or rent one and can speak the lingo. Because you wont be entitled to any benefits here and you will have no health care unless you take out private insurance unless you happen to still qualify for a UK S1.

dennerlymum

actually you will qualify for healthcare for up to 2 years based on your NI contributions. However I agree with chatterstatic.. what are you hoping to do as a job? Do you speak french (and I mean really not just ok) Have you got around 2 years money saved to buffer the move?

If you have thought of all this then I could recommend Toulouse; a young vibrant city with some work out there.

EuroTrash

As Chatter Static says. Picking an area and buying or renting a house in the hopes of finding work in the neighbourhood is not a good idea if you actually do need to work. I suggest your best plan would be to look for work first - then when you get a job, you'll know exactly where to live.

Unemployment in France is statistically higher than in the UK, plus the job market has always been slower because people don't change jobs as much. In the UK there are certain sectors where you can always find work because there is a rapid turnover of staff, but that isn't generally the case in France. People who have a job at all, be it in a factory or on a checkout or in a restaurant or wherever, count themselves lucky and hang on to it.

You can look at French job sites online to see which towns in the South have most jobs on offer.

Chatter Static

Does that still apply if you have been in Oz since 2004/5

EuroTrash

Incidentally, I'm not sure S1s are relevant - the OP appears to hail from Down Under, unless there is a Sydney UK?

Edit - Oops Chatter Static beat me to it.

dmu

This is so true, and the Languedoc-Roussillon has a higher unemployment rate than the national one, and people tend to hang on to their work even if they aren't happy there....
@ OP - What are your respective lines of work? Do you speak French well enough to compete with equally qualified, bilingual French candidates for any jobs going? We aren't exaggerating the dire employment situation here and, as suggested, you should bring enough savings to tide you over for a year or so.
Sorry to be so pessimistic, but we're realistic. Fore-warned is fore-armed!
P.S. Is there a particular reason for "thinking of moving to France", and not Spain or Portugal?
P.P.S. I've just read your profile and realise that you probably work via internet. Be aware that you can't work in France, without setting up a business structure...

drog1998

Hi All,

i appreciate the replies. Myself and my wife are both English but living in Australia at the moment. We're looking at moving in the next couple of years to be closer to family, somewhere in Europe that's warm, sunny and has a bit of culture. We were thinking of Spain but keep hearing bad things about the economy, I know France isn't the best either but just donesn't seem to bad. Anyway, the move would be a couple of year away so hopefully Europe will improve in that time.

Currently i don't speak either language but plan to start learning one ASAP, again over 2 years before the move. I would be looking for web or print design work and my wife works for L'Oreal a french company so she should be ok there.

Thanks again.

Novocastrian

Oh! The naivety!

drog1998

useful comments only please.

Novocastrian

Sorry, didn't mean to be unhelpful. But if your wife works for L'Oreal in Sydney why do you think that would get her a similar job in France, unless perhaps she's at an extremely senior level in that company?

jvc

Just being realistic....you will find the language a problem, and in all honesty are looking at a few years to be fluent. Also, unless you are fully absorbed in it, you will find it hard to stay on top of it, even with lessons. Obviously starting lessons before you move is a huge help, but we certainly find the language only progresses when we are with french people.

EuroTrash

I think Novocastian's comment was not altogether unhelpful, if a tad unsubtle.

To explain in a bit more detail: social charges in France are through the roof. For each employee the employer has to pay approaching 100% of their wage to the government in social charges, and on top of that it is very hard to fire anybody even if they are a complete waste of space because employees have a lot of rights. So taking on employees is expensive and risky and many small companies can't afford to do it. Even big companies keep their staffing levels to a minimum and taking on a new employee is not something that is done casually. As said before, the labour market in France does not flow easily. It may sound bizarre if you're used to a world where there are hundreds of jobs up for grabs locally every week but that is how it is, and that's why we're advising you to get the jobs sorted first, in case it is not as easy as you think.

Domino

And a quick aside from Spain.....

Employment problems are far worse here, where those native Spaniards of your age group are suffering 30-35% unemployment, living at home with parents/grandparents, living of granny's pension, stuffed into a small house like peas in a pod.

OK, its nice to have the sunshine of Spain and Southern France, but the last winter has been one of the wetest for a long time, very cold at -10C in Andalucia and lower up north.
And the general weather patterns give Northern Spain/Western France similar weather to the UK, who get it after it has dumped on them first.
Even today there are forecasts of rain leading to snow above 1500m.

The days of freedom of movement for individuals around the globe are long gone, although "protectionism" and unfair companies are now having great difficulty in employing their own people and balk at taking on anyone with the smallest chink in their abilities who might decide to move on again a 6-12months.

From what I have seen from other forums Italy has the same problems both in weather and employment.
All EU countries are reserving medical and other benefits for their own people, fighting strongly against the EU requirement of freedom of movement and services. Even the UK is now struggling to get out of being the provider of free medical and benefits to the rest of the world and imposing sanctions whilst getting an EU slap on the wrist.

If you both have jobs, food and a roof over your head then stay put for a few years and see how the world situation pans out, saving like hell. Unless of course the BH's company call her to France when you know they will be picking up the tab.

Sorry

EuroTrash

Looks like Oz is the place to head for then! Seriously drog1998, what are things like there?