“Occitania sees high hiring intentions with 30% of companies planning to recruit”

There is a high level of hiring intentions in Occitania with 30% of the 180,000 companies surveyed planning to recruit, especially in the service sector and in low-skilled trades: the annual Pôle Emploi survey thus counts on 280,000 job offers, 40% of which are seasonal. The majority is concentrated in the Hérault and, above all, the Haute-Garonne.

As every year, the Pôle emploi services surveyed no less than 180,000 businesses in Occitania – i.e. almost all of the 200,000 establishments in the region, of which 42,000 responded. And 30% of them plan to hire one or more employees during the year, 71% on fixed-term contracts of more than six months or on permanent contracts, again an increase in data.

Does the regional economic fabric need to hire? The answer is clear: yes. “We asked business leaders how many employees do they think they can recruit? If they have difficulty recruiting? And the positions to be filled seasonally”, explains Pierre Brosser. The head of the statistics, studies and evaluations department at the regional office of Pôle emploi Occitanie specifies that the increase in promises has been constant for years in our region, outside the covid period.

Half of promises from small businesses

And 2023 does better than 2022: “This year, we counted 280,000 recruitment projects against 277,010 in 2022, i.e. + 1.1% and well above 2019 and its 257,000 promises.” He adds : “32% of establishments in the territory plan to recruit with 15,340 recruitments planned for this year, of which 42% are non-seasonal”, specifies Pierre Brosser. But the share of recruiting establishments fell by three points to 30%. And, above all, it is small businesses that are the most inclined to promise hiring and are the source of 57% of the 280,000 promises, 61% in services. The specialist adds: “59% of these hiring intentions correspond to an increase in activity.” Pôle Emploi notes a“strong momentum among executives”: +17%, half of which are in the Toulouse employment area.

“Haute-Garonne is 1,800 promises; Herault, 800”

Geographically, Haute-Garonne and Hérault and Toulouse and Montpellier account for 44% of all hiring intentions in the region. “Most of this growth is driven by Haute-Garonne”, says Pierre Brosser. “The 1.1% corresponds to +2,900 job offers compared to last year. Well, the Haute-Garonne alone has 1,800 hiring projects. The Hérault is + 800 projects.” A dynamic department that is starting strong in this post-crisis period. The region is also marked by strong summer seasonality (2nd position in France behind Corsica) with 38% of job offers – but falling – compared to 28% in France.

These hiring intentions are mainly concentrated in the service sector (business services, construction, trade, etc.) and in low-skilled occupations. Attention with, also, much less important intentions in hotel-restaurant agriculture, industry and services to individuals.

Workers, nurses, employees, home helpers…

Among the most sought-after occupations, Pôle Emploi highlights, unsurprisingly, unskilled workers and handlers; truck drivers; caregivers; nurses; servers; self-service employees; construction workers. But also: home help; kitchen workers or cleaners. “There has also been a plumber and a hairdresser for five years.”

Nearly six out of ten hires judged “difficult“

With a counterpart: recruitment difficulties are intensifying, even if Occitanie is the 4th region “where these difficulties are the weakest, because of the unemployment rate, the second highest in France and therefore a larger available workforce”. No less than 58% of the share of planned hires are considered “difficult” by employers. A record compared to 61% in 2022; 45% in 2021; or 46% in 2019, before the crisis. 88% of recruiters indicate a shortage in their sector. The reasons for this major difficulty? The shortage of candidates in the positions requested (88%) “which is surprising when you have 550,000 job seekers in the region” ; candidates with an inadequate profile (79%); working conditions matter of course (38%), lack of diplomas and technical skills, etc.

In 2022, 80% of these promises have therefore materialized through hiring.

Olivier SCHLAMA