What are the rules around French in Quebec workplaces?
By Jim Wilson
Jan 27, 2025
Quebec businesses are increasingly seeking French language skills from their workers, according to a recent report.
Overall, 61 per cent of companies required or desired that candidates have French language skills in 2023, reports the Office québécois de la langue française/Quebec Office of the French Language (OQLF).
That number is up from 52 per cent in 2018.
Meanwhile, the proportion of companies looking for English skills (40 per cent) remained the same between 2018 and 2023: Just over a quarter (26 per cent) of companies required English skills in 2023, while 14 per cent of employers simply wanted such skills.
Also, the proportion of municipalities seeking English skills has decreased from 24 per cent in 2018 to 16 per cent in 2023.
“While knowledge of French is generally sought to facilitate communication within the company, knowledge of English is sought to facilitate communication outside the company,” notes the Quebec Office of the French Language.
In 2023, Quebec’s Premier Francois Legault introduced strict requirements mandating that nearly all immigrants to Quebec be able to speak and write in French. That came as OQLF previously reported that the exclusive use of French in workplaces in Quebec has declined.
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