- According to a Dares study, 41% of temporary agency jobs disappeared in the first quarter of 2020. A loss never seen since 1998.
- The automobile, aeronautics and construction industries, the biggest providers of temporary jobs, are in great difficulty.
- If some sectors such as logistics, tourism or the food industry are likely to use temporary workers more than usual, this will not be enough to compensate for the losses due to confinement.
Partial unemployment, announcements of closings and bankruptcy… It is an understatement to say that the job market has been turned upside down since the start of the coronavirus crisis. One sector in particular is suffering from the situation, the interim.
Primsemploi, the organization which brings together temporary work companies and their agencies, estimates the loss of jobs due to the health crisis at "557,000 full-time equivalents" during the second half of March. According to a study published by Dares on June 11, temporary employment recorded a historic decline in the first quarter of 2020 with 40.4% of jobs lost, its lowest level since 1998. This drop concerns all sectors, in particular the construction (-60.5%), industry (-40.7%) and the tertiary sector (-31%). And if certain sectors seem to be able to avoid the collapse, it is difficult to predict when activity will start again, and under what conditions.
A “shy” recovery
"We thought that employment would start again like a rocket in June with the end of containment, but we see that the economic machine is struggling to revive," said Mathieu Maréchal, delegate Interim Labor Force. Same observation for Laëtitia Gomez, deputy secretary general of the CGT Interim: “For the moment, it remains very timid. The big providers of interim jobs are those who announce closings and layoffs. Renault and Airbus are the perfect example. Difficult, then, to predict when the interim activity will start again. Bruno Ducoudré, economist at the OFCE, partly attributes the low rate of return to employment of temporary workers to the organization of companies after a long period of slow motion: workers on permanent or long-term contracts to run the production chain. »And when they have« exhausted this stock »of workers, they will go« to draw from the interim ».
For the economist, even if the activity will not immediately return to its pre-crisis level, the interim has reason for hope. Firstly because the balance of opinion of business leaders improved between April and May: “They are less pessimistic, it may bode well for a recovery. Second, because not all businesses are affected in the same way. In construction, construction resumed in June and this should improve further in the weeks to come. Despite the strict sanitary conditions which slow down this progression, they should use temporary workers, who represent a significant part of their work force. Only possible obstacle: "If the cycle of the real estate market turns around." »Data difficult to predict at the moment.
Locomotives stopped
Forecasts are no easier in the automotive sector. Manufacturers' stocks are still full, and the incentive bonuses announced by the government are limited in time and will not allow the order books to be filled, says Bruno Ducoudré: "Consumers are waiting. They save as a precaution and the automobile is not one of the purchasing priorities in these periods. »Glimmers of hope despite everything? First, the hiring of temporary workers by PSA, after the outcry linked to the announcement of the arrival of Polish workers. “It means that they need temporary workers to run the production chain. "
Then, the sector could begin a period of transition with the will of the State to relocate. Hydrogen and electric cars could bring new needs, especially if they lead to a large renewal of the vehicle fleet. Bruno Ducoudré sees two effects: “The good thing is that it would bring employment, because the production of thermal cars would not stop. "And the bad one? “The production of these [hydrogen and electric] vehicles requires less manpower. In any case, it is too early to know the true economic health of companies, according to the OFCE member, and it will take several quarters to find out more.
Other sectors to the rescue
Other sectors are, however, likely to keep temporary employment afloat in the short term. "Today, those who work in the interim are the same people who benefited from the crisis," explains Stéphanie Delestre, president of Qapa, a temporary work platform. The specialist highlights logistics and mass distribution: “With containment, people have turned to e-commerce. Logistics platforms had to hire, mostly order pickers and forklift operators. If France is now deconfigured, consumer appetite for the Internet continues, hence temporary hires. Large retailers, which benefited from the closure of businesses during containment, are taking the same path. Stéphanie Delestre clarified that these two "locomotives" also have the advantage of knowing this form of work well, since temporary employment was already part of their economic model well before the crisis.
Temporary work as a regular solution is also the case for the hygiene professions. All the more so with the sanitary measures necessary to restart activities (businesses, schools, shops), which increase the need for labor.
Still others are starting to approach agencies, especially companies whose activity is seasonal. In addition to agriculture, which could compensate for the lack of workers posted by temporary work, Stéphanie Delestre quotes the food industry: “Summer is a very important season. During this period, there is a very large demand for fruits, vegetables, ice cream, compotes and preserves. Also, the food industry recruits many temporary production agents. "
To replace the CDI?
Like tourism professionals, who are finding a little visibility, temping agencies base their hopes on this summer: “Many activities call on us for the seasons. And this year, a certain number of professionals are questioning the advisability of hiring more to alleviate the problems of "self-service". »Understand: with health protocols, many plan to recruit staff to avoid customers touching products.
And for the next school year? Stéphanie Delestre plans a large number of temporary jobs during this period ... to the detriment of hiring on permanent contracts, because companies will still be in lack of visibility.
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- Coronavirus
- Interim
- Economy
- Deconfinement
- Employment
- Job