Manufacture of a Christmas decoration at the International Center for Glass Art in Meisenthal (Moselle) (AFP / FREDERICK FLORIN)
Exceptional crafts and know-how represent half a million jobs, including 280,000 employees, and represent 68 billion euros in turnover, including 9 billion in exports, according to a study made public Tuesday.
Exceptional crafts and know-how bring together “production, creation or restoration activities whose heart is the mastery of gestures and techniques allowing the transformation of materials” (cabinetmaker, stonemason, ceramist , leatherworker, weaver…).
“There are luxury companies in this area but also heritage companies, local crafts,” explained Xavier Long, deputy general director of the Institute for French know-how.
According to the study, entitled “Les Eclaireurs: measuring the economic weight of French crafts and know-how companies”, whose data relates to 2023, these companies represent 27% of the manufacturing industry, 11.5 % of construction and building, 18.5% of arts, entertainment and recreational activities, 5.5% of scientific and technical activities and 2.5% of commerce.
96.8% of these are micro-enterprises (less than 10 people) and mainly based outside the Paris region which only represents 20.5% of head offices.
New Aquitaine specializes in the leather sector, Occitanie in the music market, Ile-de-France and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes are specialists in precious metals and precious stones, Normandy and Center-Val-de-Loire are focused on heritage restoration and the PACA region on ceramics.
The study emphasizes the promotion of these professions and know-how, a priority of 51% of the managers of the companies surveyed. Business transfer is also an issue as 37% of managers are over 55 years old.
“Behind the transfer of a business, there is also the transmission of know-how,” emphasizes Xavier Long.
“Due to the difficulties that small workshops face (lack of time, funding, administrative difficulties), the use of work-study programs is low,” underlines the report. Among employing companies, more capable of welcoming a work-study student than the self-employed, 63% do not have apprentices and 86% do not have a work-study student under a professionalization contract.
The study was carried out by the Institute for French Know-how in partnership with the Comité Colbert (which brings together the big French names in luxury), the Ministry of Culture, the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, and Terre & Fils, and carried out with the technical support of Xerfi Specific.
