The immigration of workers from the Maghreb is more than one century o/d, and was at the beginning determined by the french colonial policies in the Maghreb: initially berberic and not very numerous at the end of the lf1″ century, the immigration was then directly organized by the employers and/or by the french state in order to provide for the need of unqualified labour in the periods of great economic growth. The main sectors of activity were the building industry, mines, industry and agriculture. The labour of migrant workers from the Maghreb is a structural element of the french economy. Since the 80s more and more women of maghrebin origin are appearing on the labour market, and the jobs are changing from the primary and secondary industry to the tertiary industry. The young people of the second generation enjoy more diversified employment while some of them now benefit from greater social mobility.
