France labor market shows construction shortages and executive hiring slowdown

The French labor market is experiencing divergent trends in recruitment for 2026. According to France Travail, the construction and public works (BTP) sector faces severe structural shortages, with a 65% difficulty rate in filling approximately 143,000 job openings. High demand for profiles such as masons, carpenters, electricians, and site managers persists due to infrastructure projects and energy renovation needs.

In contrast, recruitment intentions for executives (cadres) have slowed significantly during the third quarter. Data from Apec indicates that only 7% of all companies plan to hire at least one executive, marking a low point in recent years. This decline is most pronounced in large corporations, where hiring intentions have dropped to their lowest levels since 2020. Economic uncertainty, partly attributed to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, has led many large firms to adopt precautionary stances, although some industrial sectors like aeronautics and shipbuilding show slight growth in hiring intentions.