Crisis or no crisis, the SNCF Group is continuing its commitment to drive the French economy forward.

With 201,000 employees, the SNCF is one of the pillars of skilled employment in France. We take our responsibilities to the nation seriously, contributing to the economy by our recruitment and investment policies (€2 billion invested in 2008 and €2.5 billion in 2009 is not to be sniffed at!). In 2008, 5,300 people joined the SNCF, including more than 760 management-level staff, both young and experienced graduates. Across the whole Group, there were more than 10,000 recruitments. The SNCF is also keen to boost employment opportunities for older workers, by adapting their jobs towards the end of their careers and promoting the sharing of their skills and know-how with younger recruits.

Focus on diversity.The SNCF's commitment and beliefs mean it has thrown the doors wide open. In 2008, nearly one new recruit in 8 was from a working-class area, in particular thanks to the Equal Opportunities Job Train, and more than one recruit in four is a woman. 130 new recruits have a disability and the new agreement for 2008-2011 underlines the SNCF commitment to the nearly 4,500 members of staff with disabilities. And work-linked training should also be mentioned, one of our preferred recruitment routes. By the end of 2008, 4,900 young people were on a work-linked training course with a placement at the SNCF, from school-leavers to postgraduates.

Read 'La Performance sociale au cœur de notre stratégie' (Social issues at the heart of our strategy). Read the 2008-2011 Agreement for the Employment of People with Disabilities