Chloé Lagadou 06h21, July 29, 2022

This is one of the problems this summer in all sectors: the labor shortage.

In the agglomeration of Cergy-Pontoise, half of the swimming pools are closed, due to the absence of lifeguards.

A situation that annoys the inhabitants of the town and the municipality which finds itself for the first time in this situation.

Sports bag on the shoulder and flip-flops on the feet, these two regulars of the swimming pools of the city of Cergy deplore the closure of half of the aquatic centers this summer.

"I don't understand the agglomeration. Wait, it's still very hot, it's not normal", launches this lady.

"In the agglomeration, there are still a lot of swimming pools. Usually, it's always a bit of a shame to be forced to change your plans because some are closed", adds this accustomed. 

Covid has impacted training

If the swimming pools are closed, it is because eleven lifeguards are missing.

Malika Yebdri, elected in charge of sports for the agglomeration of Cergy-Pontoise, points to recruitment difficulties: “We are desperate, very worried. This is absolutely the first year that we have been in this situation. 'usual, we manage to complete,' she explains.

"The reality is that the health crisis has had a concrete impact on the organization of training and the passing of diplomas. So we were not able to train and graduate the lifeguards in good and due form". 

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Between 1,500 and 2,000 missing professionals

And for those who have been trained, the prospect of a job in a municipal swimming pool is not always the most attractive, explains Estelle, lifeguard.

"At 18-20 years old, we want to be on the Landes beaches more than in an enclosed swimming pool all day. Despite everything, there is a lack of lifeguards everywhere in France", she testifies on Europe 1.

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- In Belle-Île, the shortage of seasonal workers is caused by the lack of housing

Indeed, this summer, there is a lack of between 1,500 and 2,000 professionals on the beaches and in the country's municipal swimming pools to monitor bathers.