The decline in the level of activity, observed since January 2024, continues and is even accentuated with 45% of Vendée companies declaring a falling level of activity and more than a third having seen their margins decrease this quarter compared to to last year. This is the trend that emerges from the latest economic survey conducted by the CCI Vendée, in collaboration with Medef, CPME, U2P and OESTV, between October 1 and 15, 2024 and to which 838 companies answered.
Businesses are going through difficult times, and their concerns are intensifying in the face of economic instability and lack of visibility. The main concerns of managers are mainly linked to public policies and regulations, cited in 70% of responses. Geopolitical conflicts also raise concerns (34%), as do climatic conditions (33%). Overall, this context hampers their development prospects.
A mixed tourist season
Tourism professionals have suffered the full brunt of the cumulative consequences of poor weather conditions and the drop in purchasing power. The average ticket, the number of seats and the occupancy rate are down compared to the 2023 season. Thus, 51% of professionals mention an average assessment for the 2024 summer season, with significant disparities between the coastline (which comes out better) and the rest of the department.
Persistent obstacles in industry and construction
In the construction sector, production levels are adjusted according to market demand. The industry suffers from marked underutilization of its production capacities. For industrial companies, the main difficulties are no longer linked to supply difficulties, but to the drop in the order book (52% compared to 11% in June), to the extension of customer payment times (42% versus 18%) and the decline in margins (36% versus 8%).
Job retention
Despite these difficulties, the number of permanent employees remains high (stable or increasing for 80% of companies), all sectors combined. The adjustment is made on fixed-term or temporary employment, particularly in industry and hotel-restaurant cafes.
In this uncertain context, the confidence index of Vendée business leaders has fallen very slightly. Forecasts for the coming months suggest stability in economic activity at a level which, however, remains quite low.
