Building Materials Trade Sector Report: Employment and Training Data 2024

As every year, the Observatory of Trades in Construction Materials Trade publishes, at the request of the CPNEFP (National Joint Commission for Employment and Vocational Training), its annual report on employment and training in the sector.

Based on data from Constructys, OPCO of the Construction industry, and a survey conducted in 2025 among companies in the sector, this report provides a precise overview of the dynamics at work in the sector.

The sector maintains a strong recruitment dynamic, while guaranteeing job stability.

15.350 hires made in 2024, with a stable recruitment rate of 18%.
Of these hires, 71,5% are permanent contracts, a sign of a willingness on the part of companies to offer sustainable jobs.
18,5% of companies plan to hire in 2025, an increase of 1,5 points compared to 2024.
94,5% of employees in companies that participated in the survey are on permanent contracts and 96% work full-time, confirming the stability and security of employment in the sector.
Nearly 7 out of 10 employees benefited from a salary increase in 2024.

The sector is showing encouraging results in terms of gender equality and integration.

The proportion of women is increasing and has reached 26,5% of the workforce, with a homogeneous distribution according to the size of the companies.
The professional equality index stands at 83/100, showing progress.
Employees aged 50 and over represent nearly 28% of the workforce, illustrating the progressive aging of the working population.
The proportion of employees with disabilities (RQTH) reached 3,8%, a slight increase.

Training remains a shared priority, with strong mobilization across all programs

More than 1.700 employees in companies with fewer than 11 employees have been trained through the Skills Development Plan. This momentum is particularly strong in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur/Corsica, which account for 40% of the trainees.
Companies with more than 11 employees maintain a strong dynamic, with 8.272 trainees trained and an emphasis on energy and environment-related training, which represents more than 40% of them.
Apprenticeships remain stable: 2.737 apprenticeship contracts signed in 2024.
The Collective Operational Preparation for Employment (POEC) and the Pro-A, with 204 trainees trained in 2024, are experiencing a decline, but remain key mechanisms for skills development.

According to Patricia Caillot, Vice-President of the CPNEFP: “We must commend the commitment of the companies that take the time to respond to this annual survey. Thanks to their participation, we once again have an accurate snapshot of our sector. With a representativeness rate of 63,5% of employees, this report constitutes a strategic tool for anticipating developments and effectively guiding employment and training policies in the sector.”

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.