Housing hinders the career path of nearly one in two young working people.

In a tight housing market, access to accommodation is becoming an obstacle to entering the workforce. According to an OpinionWay survey conducted for The Boost Society, young professionals spend an average of 36% of their monthly budget on housing.

Housing accounts for 36% of young working people's budget.

The situation is particularly pronounced in the Île-de-France region, where housing represents on average 40% of respondents' monthly budget. In the region, 26% of young people surveyed even report spending more than half of their income on housing.

This financial burden reduces their ability to save, finance their travel, or accept a professional opportunity requiring a relocation.

Finding accommodation is considered more difficult than finding a job

Nearly three out of four young working adults, or 72%, find it difficult to find affordable housing near where they live. This difficulty is cited more often than job searching, mentioned by 63% of respondents, or pursuing further education, mentioned by 49%.

Tensions are higher in large urban areas. In Île-de-France, 42% of young people consider it "very difficult" to find affordable housing, compared to 27% in rural areas.

Nearly one in two young people are held back in their professional career

Difficulties accessing housing have already hindered the job search or change of employment for 49% of young working people surveyed. For 21% of them, this situation has occurred on several occasions.

Housing also weighs on academic paths: 39% of students report having been hindered in pursuing their studies or training.

Those under 25 and young people with the lowest incomes are particularly affected. For example, 63% of those under 25 consider finding accommodation to have been an obstacle to their entry into the workforce. This proportion reaches 59% among young working people earning less than €2.000 per month.

Returning to parents' home and temporary solutions

Unable to find suitable housing that meets their needs and budget, 35% of the young people surveyed remain with their parents or return to live at the family home. Another 27% are staying with other family members.

Furthermore, 20% of respondents indicated that they resort to temporary solutions, such as a hotel room or short-term rental. These alternatives can complicate their access to independence and limit their professional mobility.

Companies acknowledge the problem, but are still doing little.

More than seven out of ten companies surveyed stated that they are aware of the difficulties their employees face in finding housing. Among the human resources directors consulted, 52% believe that housing now represents a real obstacle to employment for young professionals.

For 38% of companies, implementing an attractive housing policy is also a lever for competitiveness. However, the actions undertaken remain primarily focused on advice and support in the search process, cited by 50% of respondents.

Only 9% of the companies surveyed have implemented direct financial assistance, while 14% are considering doing so.

Thomas Séguy, director of operations at The Boost Society, believes that companies have an important role to play, in addition to public schemes, to facilitate access to housing and promote the professional integration of young people.

For context, INSEE measured the unemployment rate of the working population aged 15 to 24 at 21,5% in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Methodology: OpinionWay survey for The Boost Society conducted in December 2025 with a sample of 1.011 people representative of young French professionals aged 18 to 34, as well as 300 human resources directors of French companies with more than 50 employees.