{"id":671634,"date":"2025-05-27T08:38:48","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T05:38:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-french-labor-market-according-to-statistical-physics\/"},"modified":"2025-05-27T08:38:48","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T05:38:48","slug":"the-french-labor-market-according-to-statistical-physics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-french-labor-market-according-to-statistical-physics\/","title":{"rendered":"The French labor market according to statistical physics"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a364dd0b15df\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a364dd0b15df\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-french-labor-market-according-to-statistical-physics\/#Hubs_condensers_diffusers_and_channels\" >Hubs, condensers, diffusers, and channels<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/few-diffusers-and-many.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/few-diffusers-and-many.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Graph visualization of the weighted and directed labor market network derived from the transition probability matrix, computed from data spanning the years 2012 to 2020. Each node symbolizes an occupation, with links that illustrate transitions between them. Node sizes correspond to the occupation's workforce size, while node color indicates its BRIM community (Blondel et al., 2008a). Line widths are proportional to the transition probability. The layout is based on the OpenOrd algorithm (Martin et al., 2011), and the graph was generated using Gephi (Bastian et al., 2009). Credit: Max Knicker, Karl Naumann-Woleske, and Michael Benzaquen\u2014\u00c9cole Polytechnique Paris\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/few-diffusers-and-many.jpg\" alt=\"Few diffusers and many bottlenecks: the French labor market according to statistical physics\" title=\"Graph visualization of the weighted and directed labor market network derived from the transition probability matrix, computed from data spanning the years 2012 to 2020. Each node symbolizes an occupation, with links that illustrate transitions between them. Node sizes correspond to the occupation's workforce size, while node color indicates its BRIM community (Blondel et al., 2008a). Line widths are proportional to the transition probability. The layout is based on the OpenOrd algorithm (Martin et al., 2011), and the graph was generated using Gephi (Bastian et al., 2009). Credit: Max Knicker, Karl Naumann-Woleske, and Michael Benzaquen\u2014\u00c9cole Polytechnique Paris\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Graph visualization of the weighted and directed labor market network derived from the transition probability matrix, computed from data spanning the years 2012 to 2020. Each node symbolizes an occupation, with links that illustrate transitions between them. Node sizes correspond to the occupation&#8217;s workforce size, while node color indicates its BRIM community (Blondel et al., 2008a). Line widths are proportional to the transition probability. The layout is based on the OpenOrd algorithm (Martin et al., 2011), and the graph was generated using Gephi (Bastian et al., 2009). Credit: Max Knicker, Karl Naumann-Woleske, and Michael Benzaquen\u2014\u00c9cole Polytechnique Paris<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>How long have you been doing your current job? Have you ever thought about trying a new profession? How difficult does change seem to you? The current rapid transformation of the labor market is putting many workers to the test: they struggle to keep up and move into new roles, while at the same time, companies are having difficulty finding qualified personnel.<\/p>\n<p>A new study has analyzed the French labor market using methods from statistical physics, and found that over 90% of jobs today function as bottlenecks: they are easily accessible, but once entered, they become traps from which it is hard to move elsewhere\u2014even when other opportunities are available.<\/p>\n<p>The study, conducted by Max Knicker, Karl Naumann-Woleske, and Michael Benzaquen of \u00c9cole Polytechnique in Paris, and published in the <i>Journal of Statistical Mechanics: Theory and Experiment<\/i>, provides a detailed m<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ing of accessibility and transferability characteristics within the French occupational network. It reveals strong structural rigidity in the overall labor system and offers a basis for understanding what kinds of interventions and policy decisions might help to break this deadlock.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology<\/a>, lifestyle changes, migration, and other issues are rapidly transforming the labor market: professions that were in high demand just ten years ago may now be obsolete, while new and growing jobs struggle to find skilled workers. This affects people&#8217;s lives directly, and also impacts economic development.<\/p>\n<p>To find effective strategies, it is crucial to understand the detailed mechanisms of access and transition between occupations. Doing so requires the analysis of large-scale data, which is where statistical physics, developed precisely to manage large volumes of dynamic information, becomes particularly useful.<\/p>\n<p>Knicker and his team applied network analysis tools to data from the last ten years of the French labor market, revealing structural rigidities and vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n<p>One of the study&#8217;s strengths is its ability to view the system in its entirety. The researchers did not rely on a sample or projections, but on real, comprehensive data from across France.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We used official data provided by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies through the service of Secure Data Access Center (CASD). In total, we had access to information on about 30 million workers and employers in France, whom we tracked over a 10-year period,&#8221; explains Max Knicker, a Ph.D. candidate at the \u00c9cole Polytechnique in Paris, affiliated with the EconophysiX lab and lead author of the study.<\/p>\n<p>The team worked with high-resolution administrative data from INSEE (the French National Institute of Statistics), specifically the BTS-Postes (Base Tous Salari\u00e9s\u2014Postes).<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We then assigned each occupation a score for two key metrics: transferability and accessibility,&#8221; Knicker explains. &#8220;On one hand, transferability captures how diverse the set of occupations is that people move into from a given occupation. Accessibility, on the other hand, measures how diverse the origins are of people entering a given occupation, indicating how broadly accessible it is from across the labor market.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Knicker and colleagues mapped all occupations onto a two-dimensional space defined by these variables, identifying four main clusters or categories of jobs.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Diffuser occupations are those with high transferability but low accessibility, they&#8217;re harder to enter but offer a wide range of exit opportunities,&#8221; Knicker explains.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Channel occupations are both hard to enter and offer few onward transitions. Hubs are both widely accessible and highly transferable, acting as central nodes in the transition network. Finally, the most common type are condensers\u2014occupations that many workers can enter from diverse backgrounds, but which offer limited options for moving onward.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"ads w-100 my-4 article-main__more bg-light p-3 border\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-3\">\n        Discover the latest in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a>, tech, and space with over <strong>100,000 subscribers<\/strong> who rely on Phys.org for daily insights.<br \/>\n        Sign up for our <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/newsletter\/\" target=\"_blank\">free newsletter<\/a> and get updates on breakthroughs,<br \/>\n        innovations, and research that matter\u2014<strong>daily or weekly<\/strong>.\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hubs_condensers_diffusers_and_channels\"><\/span>Hubs, condensers, diffusers, and channels<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;Hubs include jobs like retail sellers, which require a broad but not highly specialized skill set,&#8221; says Knicker. &#8220;Condensers include caregiving roles: technically, there aren&#8217;t many barriers to entry, but once someone enters a condenser occupation it&#8217;s hard to transition to something else.<\/p>\n<p>As for diffusers\u2014where few occupations enter but from which it&#8217;s easy to move elsewhere\u2014we&#8217;re talking about roles like technical flight managers or merchant navy specialists: jobs that require specific training to enter, but that training enables transitions to many other areas.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/few-diffusers-and-many-1.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/few-diffusers-and-many-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Graph visualization of the weighted and directed labor market network derived from the transition probability matrix, computed from data spanning the years 2012 to 2020. Each node symbolizes an occupation, with links that illustrate transitions between them. Node sizes correspond to the occupation's workforce size, while node color indicates its BRIM community (Blondel et al., 2008a). Line widths are proportional to the transition probability. The layout is based on the OpenOrd algorithm (Martin et al., 2011), and the graph was generated using Gephi (Bastian et al., 2009). Credit: Max Knicker, Karl Naumann-Woleske, and Michael Benzaquen - \u00c9cole Polytechnique Paris.\">\n<figure class=\"article-img text-center\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/few-diffusers-and-many-1.jpg\" alt=\"Few diffusers and many bottlenecks: the French labor market according to statistical physics\" title=\"Graph visualization of the weighted and directed labor market network derived from the transition probability matrix, computed from data spanning the years 2012 to 2020. Each node symbolizes an occupation, with links that illustrate transitions between them. Node sizes correspond to the occupation's workforce size, while node color indicates its BRIM community (Blondel et al., 2008a). Line widths are proportional to the transition probability. The layout is based on the OpenOrd algorithm (Martin et al., 2011), and the graph was generated using Gephi (Bastian et al., 2009). Credit: Max Knicker, Karl Naumann-Woleske, and Michael Benzaquen - \u00c9cole Polytechnique Paris.\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-left text-darken text-truncate text-low-up mt-3\">\n                Graph visualization of the weighted and directed labor market network derived from the transition probability matrix, computed from data spanning the years 2012 to 2020. Each node symbolizes an occupation, with links that illustrate transitions between them. Node sizes correspond to the occupation&#8217;s workforce size, while node color indicates its BRIM community (Blondel et al., 2008a). Line widths are proportional to the transition probability. The layout is based on the OpenOrd algorithm (Martin et al., 2011), and the graph was generated using Gephi (Bastian et al., 2009). Credit: Max Knicker, Karl Naumann-Woleske, and Michael Benzaquen &#8211; \u00c9cole Polytechnique Paris.<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Lastly,&#8221; Knicker concludes, &#8220;channels are jobs that are hard to access and hard to leave. They often involve highly specialized skills, such as industrial welding machine operators.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;For now, it&#8217;s a descriptive analysis. We&#8217;re essentially looking at the past, not building predictive models yet. But even this descriptive framework helps us understand how transitions happen,&#8221; Knicker explains.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;While the broader labor market is undoubtedly undergoing structural shifts due to technological and economic change, we found that the observed occupational transition patterns have remained relatively stable over the past decade. This empirical stability allows us to use the current structure as a meaningful baseline, enabling our metrics to highlight occupations where policy efforts might most effectively ease reallocation bottlenecks.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>According to Knicker, the insights from this and future studies could help guide efforts to promote smoother transitions within the labor market. &#8220;With our work, we aim to identify the occupations with the greatest potential to act as levers or bridges, facilitating people&#8217;s movement from one job to another.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Knicker and his team are making their methodology available to anyone who wants to apply it to other contexts\u2014for example, to other European countries or even across the entire EU. One current challenge, however, he explains, is data standardization: some countries have extensive datasets comparable to France&#8217;s, while in others the picture is more fragmented.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the study is only a first step. In the future, Knicker and colleagues hope to track individual career trajectories and integrate other types of data, such as information on specific vocational training.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-main__more p-4\">\n<p><strong>More information:<\/strong><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Structure of Occupational Mobility in France, <i>Journal of Statistical Mechanics Theory and Experiment<\/i> (2025).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium mt-4\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSISSA <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Media<\/a>lab<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"https:\/\/medialab.sissa.it\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<use href=\"https:\/\/phys.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFew diffusers and many bottlenecks: The French labor market according to statistical physics (2025, May 27)<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tretrieved 27 May 2025<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfrom https:\/\/phys.org\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2025-05-diffusers-bottlenecks-french-labor-statistical.html\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2025-05-diffusers-bottlenecks-french-labor-statistical.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Graph visualization of the weighted and directed labor market network derived from the transition probability matrix, computed from data spanning the years 2012 to 2020. Each node symbolizes an occupation, with links that illustrate transitions between them. Node sizes correspond to the occupation&#8217;s workforce size, while node color indicates its BRIM community (Blondel et al.,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":671637,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/few-diffusers-and-many.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-671634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/671634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=671634"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/671634\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/671637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=671634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=671634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=671634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}