the Nord and Pas-de-Calais facing a shortage of seasonal workers
As the summer season looms, some sectors are struggling to find employees to bolster their workforces. Among the brakes identified: wages deemed too low, unattractive working conditions or difficulties in finding accommodation.
On this Thursday in May, the Matisse terrace is full. Sunglasses on their noses, the customers of this brasserie in Le Touquet (Pas-de-Calais) wear a big smile. Taking orders, preparing in the kitchen, payment: the restaurant’s meager staff is not idle. And for good reason, the management is facing a significant lack of seasonal workers.
Emma is one of the new recruits. The young woman, who officiates in the room, had no trouble getting her job.
“I submitted my CV on Friday morning and, two hours later, I already had a phone call for an interview. I started on Sunday,” she rewinds to the microphone of BFM Grand Littoral.
“Historical shortage”
This expeditious recruitment process reflects a “historic shortage” of manpower, according to Jean Terlon, vice-president of the catering branch of the Union of Trades and Industries of the Hotel Industry (Umih). The sector is still seeking to recruit 100,000 to 150,000 additional employees for the summer period throughout France.
Vincent Debroucker, manager of the Matisse, hopes to enlist a dozen urgently to stem the influx of customers brought by the good weather.
“We are going to look for people whereas before we had before starting the season a flood of CVs to no longer know what to do with them, he notes. It is true that there are not only advantages to work in catering, unfortunately, even if we are in Le Touquet and the sun shines six months of the year. , to give days of rest which are stuck.”
Restricted opening hours, employees trained in new tasks…
Salaries, working conditions, the shortage of accommodation (particularly in seaside areas in the summer) or working hours are all obstacles to recruitment likely to face professionals in the hotel and catering sector.
Some bosses resolve to reduce their opening hours – or even close certain days – or to offer new training to employees already present in the company.
This shortage is in no way specific to the summer that is looming in the world of hotels and restaurants. But the health crisis has exacerbated it, a large fringe of professionals in the sector having wished to give a new direction to their career.
If the hotel and catering industry is by far the most affected professional environment, trade, mass distribution, agriculture or even the animation professions are also lacking in manpower.
8000 vacancies
At the MJC in Halluin (Nord), children and teenagers crowd around the table tennis tables, table football or indulge in a game of Kapla. The animators struggle to supervise them. But the lack of arms is still felt. Olivier Lejeune, youth coordinator at the MJC, seems somewhat disillusioned.
“We are missing two animators for July-August for the pre-teens / teens and we are missing a person in direction, he relates. We say to ourselves that there is perhaps a lack of interest for this kind of jobs, maybe young people need to earn a little more money by going to work in the factory for example.”
The person concerned does not rule out reducing his reception capacities if he is unable to fill the positions in question.
In total, 8,000 seasonal positions are still looking for takers in the Nord and Pas-de-Calais. As of April 29, Umih estimated the number at 270,000 nationwide.