PARIS (Reuters) - Europe’s biggest retailer Carrefour plans to hire 15,000 young workers next year in France, with half the new recruits coming from underprivileged neighborhoods, its boss Alexandre Bompard said on Tuesday. “Some 750,000 youngsters enter the labor market each year,” Bompard told RTL radio, referring to workers under the age of 25. “It is always hard for them to find their place. This year, for what we can call the ‘COVID Generation’, it’s extremely complex. Doors are closed because many companies face difficulties.” “We are the number one (private sector) employer in France. We cannot stay idle,” he said. “I have decided that we will hire 15,000 youngsters next year, 50% more than usual, and I want 50% of these youngsters to come from underprivileged neighborhoods.” The jobs offered will be long-term contracts and apprenticeships. Carrefour employs 321,000 people worldwide, including 105,000 in France.