French Market Report 2010 - Outlook for 2010
Internal auditing has had a good recession with far fewer internal auditors losing their jobs than might have been expected. This was not only true in France but also globally. The value of an effective internal audit function is increasingly recognised as an integral part of the management process.
In 2010 the French economy should continue to recover and we anticipate that the demand for internal auditors will increase. In the first quarter of 2010, whilst many companies still had recruitment freezes, demand was already 40% higher than in the comparable period in 2009. However any recovery has to be seen in the context of an environment where general unemployment is likely to remain high. Beyond that there are fiscal deficits that will need to be addressed.
Our best estimate is that there will be a gradual increase in demand for internal auditors as 2010 progresses. There is every likelihood that the total number of internal auditors employed in the French economy will once again increase.