In this report, the McKinsey Global Institute's research finds to meet even moderate ambitions for employment and prosperity, France must create more than twice as many net new jobs annually as it did during the past 20 years. Unless France acts, by 2020 it may face a shortfall of 2.2 million highly skilled workers, and 2.3 million low-skilled workers will be unable to find jobs. Addressing this intensifying structural mismatch of skills is required to increase employment.