the essential
France Travail (formerly Pôle Emploi) recently published its annual survey on workforce needs (BMO) carried out among companies, between October and December 2023, with the assistance of the Research Center for Study and observation of living conditions (Crédoc). In Aude we see declining hiring plans among employers and still the same difficulties in recruiting in a context of marked seasonality.
The trend, which was already well underway last year, is being confirmed. Recruitment projects among Aude employers are drawing a downward curve for the year 2024 compared to previous years. 17,400 hires planned in 2024 compared to 19,010 in 2023 and 20,560 in 2022, which constitutes a peak. This is a return to the same level as before Covid.
A complicated context for the Aude economic fabric
As a reminder, progress had been constant since 2018 (16,380 projects in 2018, 17,540 in 2019, 18,360 in 2020, 19,160 in 2021). This decline of 8.4% between 2023 and 2024 outlines a complicated context for the Aude economic fabric. As at the national level where the decline in hiring intentions is 8.5%. In Aude, two areas are particularly suffering. “Those in the hotel, café, catering (HCR) and construction industries,” notes Murielle Henry, the director of France Travail for Aude and Ariège. In the space of one year, recruitment projects fell by 15% in the UNHCR and by 32% in construction. The reasons: “Difficulty of recruitment, inflation, cost of raw materials for the UNHCR. And for construction, the construction of new buildings is decreasing.”
Leading recruiter in the region: services
This BMO survey sheds light on the characteristics of the Aude labor market. Services remain the leading recruiter in the region with 60% of projects formulated in 2024 (64% for the region). Agriculture, including the agri-food industry, accounts for 22% of hiring intentions, commerce 12%, construction 4% and industry 2%. Employers are primarily looking for kitchen helpers and versatile catering employees, home helpers and carers and farmers.
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The strong seasonality of jobs (58% compared to 39% for the Occitanie region) remains well marked due to the importance of the share of the hotel and catering industry (23% of the 17,400 planned hires) and agriculture. The percentage of seasonal projects reaches 83% in agriculture and 75% in accommodation and catering. In terms of number of recruitment projects planned for 2024, the HCR (3,830) and agriculture and viticulture (3,680) professions come out on top. “For many people, there is an alternation between periods of work and periods of unemployment,” remarks Murielle Henry while trying to establish the profile of the Aude worker.
Four employment areas under the microscope
Four employment areas, Narbonne, Carcassonne, Limoux, Castelnaudary are listed and analyzed for this survey. With 8,960 recruitments planned, the Narbonnais basin is by far the most dynamic, followed by those of Carcassonne (5,320), Limoux (1,640) and Castelnaudary (1,480). On the other hand, the share of recruitment deemed difficult is highest in Narbonne (56%), closely followed by Carcassonne (55%). It is less tense near Limoux (44%) and Castelnaudary (40%).
Also note that the health sector is seeking to recruit: namely home help services, nursing assistants, nurses. “It’s a national phenomenon. There is a silver economy. Because of the lengthening of life and people staying at home. Coming out of the health crisis, we could also have thought that the professions of nurses and caregivers would lead to vocations. This was not the case, since there were many resignations.
More than one in two recruitment considered difficult
On the other hand, recruitment difficulties are still significant. 53.3% of hiring projects are considered difficult by Aude companies. Certainly, down compared to 2023, where the figure rose to 58% while in 2021 it only reached 36%. “We see that in the restaurant industry, there are difficulties in stabilizing staff, in keeping them. This raises the question of working and salary conditions,” continues Murielle Henry.
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In addition to catering, other professions are under severe pressure. Public transport drivers (97% of recruitment projects considered difficult), assistants and carers (89%) and even vehicle mechanics (94%). When asked what are the reasons for the difficulties encountered in recruiting, “99% of employers mention the shortage of candidates”, confides the director of France Travail. “And 79% talk about inappropriate behavior at work.”
10.5% unemployment in Aude
As in previous years, we therefore see a supply which does not connect with demand, knowing that 35,000 people are unemployed in Aude (10.5% compared to 7.3% in France). “We must work on the causes that make it difficult for companies to find workers. There is a change in the way we approach work, the permanent contract is no longer the holy grail, we must prepare workers to develop their careers by changing jobs in recruiting sectors. Managerial practices must also evolve,” concludes Murielle Henry.
Agriculture, a field in constant search of reinforcements
It is a sector in constant search of reinforcements. In Aude, agriculture stood out through the annual France Travail survey on workforce needs (BMO). Among the hundred professions analyzed in this file, two significantly related ones stand out: recruitment projects spanning the entire coming year are estimated at 1,740 for farmers while wine growers and arborists are at the top of the ranking at 1,940.
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In detail, the needs of these professions are spread across the entire department. In the Carcassonne basin, recruitment projects in the field of agriculture are far ahead of others (890), as in Castelnaudary (280). If agriculture is not in first position in Limoux and its surroundings or even on the coast, the needs are nevertheless estimated at 160 projects in Limoux, with wine growers and arborists being just ahead with 380 projects.
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In Narbonne, recruitment projects mainly revolve around kitchen helpers and versatile catering employees. However, winegrowers and arborists as well as farmers are not far behind with respectively 1,000 and 420 recruitment projects over the year. If we compare with the figures revealed last year, overall, the aforementioned sectors should recruit less in the months to come. However, the drop is not significant.
Actions taken to identify needs
Confronted with these data, Philippe Vergnes, president of the Aude Chamber of Agriculture, expresses himself: “I have not yet seen the details of this survey but everyday reality confirms this observation. To go even further, the profession includes many others who are in constant demand for reinforcements within the territory, whether long-term contracts or seasonal workers. For the latter, the Chamber of Agriculture even confirms having launched an investigation concerning this need in a specific geographical sector: the Aude Pyrenees. The initiative also took place a few days before the publication on BMO.
Generally speaking, neither the Aude Chamber of Agriculture, nor even the Agri 11 employers’ group have more detailed data than that provided by France Travail. The approval of the BMO survey comes mainly from the feelings towards the job seekers met as well as the working professionals.
R.L.
