The construction industry remains the leading recruiter of temporary workers and is limiting the decline despite a slowdown in 2025.

Although the market is slowing down compared to a historic 2024, it remains at a high level, returning to the level of 2023 and well beyond pre-crisis standards.

Key takeaways include:

• The job market is slowing down but remains solid: more than 10 million offers published in 2025, despite a decline of -9,8% compared to an exceptionally dynamic year 2024.
• More cautious recruitment on long-term contracts, with a marked decline in permanent contracts, while temporary work is fully playing its role as a buffer in an uncertain economic context.
• Health and personal services remain the pillars of the market, driven by long-term structural needs across the entire territory.
• Recruitment tensions persist in several key sectors, a sign of an active market where the need for skills remains strong despite the slowdown.

A job market that is returning to normal after several exceptional years

Following the strong momentum observed after the health crisis, the job market is entering a phase of normalization in 2025. Slower growth, persistent geopolitical tensions, and a more constrained budgetary environment have led companies to adjust their recruitment strategies, without, however, altering their structural skills needs.

In total, 10,1 million job offers were published in 2025, a decrease of 9,8% compared to 2024. This level remains, however, slightly higher than that observed in 2023, confirming that the market retains a solid base, well beyond pre-crisis standards.

The decline in volumes was mainly concentrated in periods traditionally sensitive to economic arbitrage, in the spring (April-May) and at the end of the year (November-December), reflecting more a prudent management than a halt in the market.

A more cautious end to the year, but a still active market

After a slight dip in the third quarter, the fourth quarter of 2025 confirmed this adjustment with a 15% year-on-year decrease across all contract categories. Nevertheless, 2,2 million offers were published during the period, a significant volume that illustrates the market's resilience despite a less favorable economic climate.

This caution is mainly observed in permanent and fixed-term contract recruitment, in a context of reduced medium-term visibility.

According to David Beaurepaire, Deputy Director of Hellowork: “2025 marks a phase of logical adjustment after several exceptional years. The job market remains solid, driven by strong structural needs, particularly in health and services. Companies continue to recruit to replace departures (resignations, end of probationary periods, negotiated terminations) but in a more targeted and selective way, which paints a more balanced picture for the coming years, before the demographic winter of the 2030s.”

A gradual phasing out of permanent contracts throughout 2025

The volume of permanent contract (CDI) offers shifted permanently into negative territory starting in the fall of 2024, then continued to decline throughout 2025. Month after month, the downward trend persisted, with a sharper drop in the spring and a contraction that continued until the end of the year. Cumulatively, for the year as a whole, permanent contracts fell by 11%, with 4,4 million offers published. This trend reflects increased caution among employers regarding their long-term commitments in an uncertain economic climate, without calling into question companies' structural recruitment needs.

After a very strong end to 2024, the volume of fixed-term contract (CDD) offers saw an initial slowdown at the beginning of the year, before a sharp decline in the spring. A slight rebound occurred during the summer, but this was not enough to sustainably reverse the trend. In the autumn, the momentum deteriorated again, with more pronounced declines in November and December. Overall, fixed-term contracts fell by 10% over the year, with 1,2 million offers published. This trajectory reflects a more opportunistic use of short-term contracts, heavily dependent on business cycles and companies' cyclical adjustments.

Temporary employment confirms its role as a variable for adjustment.

After a promising start to 2024, the temporary staffing market lost momentum from autumn 2024 onwards, before settling into a sustained negative trend from the beginning of 2025. Monthly declines remained consistent throughout the year, reflecting an adjustment in volume rather than a sharp drop. With 4,2 million job postings, temporary staffing experienced a more limited decline (-8%) than other types of contracts. This trajectory illustrates a more cautious use of temporary staffing, deployed in a targeted manner to absorb fluctuations in activity, without calling into question its key role in certain sectors such as construction and some industrial segments, notably food processing and aerospace.

The year 2025 is marked by a more pronounced decline in apprenticeship offers (-12%) than for other types of contracts (-10%). This trend is largely explained by the effects of the apprenticeship funding reform, and in particular the reduction of subsidies, which has slowed down companies' recruitment plans.

A widespread decline across the territory

The geography of employment remains generally stable. Île-de-France (15% of published offers) and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (14%) still together account for almost one in three offers.

All regions are expected to see a decline in the volume of job offers in 2025, in proportions close to the national average, reflecting a uniform market adjustment across the country, with decreases of 11% in Île-de-France and 10% in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur stands out with greater resilience (-4%), driven by the healthcare and personal services sectors. Conversely, Nouvelle-Aquitaine (-15%), Occitanie (-13%), and Pays de la Loire (-12%) are experiencing slightly more pronounced adjustments, notably due to the industrial slowdown, the construction sector, and the decline in IT services company recruitment.

In major metropolitan areas, the slowdown in the job market is more pronounced than at the national level. The cumulative volume of job offers in the ten largest metropolitan areas is projected to decline by 12,6% by 2025. Paris (-12%) and Lyon (-11%) are experiencing decreases close to the national average, while Strasbourg stands out with near-stability (-1%). Conversely, Toulouse (-18%), Bordeaux (-17%), Lille (-17%), and Nantes (-16%) are undergoing more significant adjustments.

Health and personal services: the pillars of the market in 2025

In a less favorable environment, healthcare and personal services confirm their central role. Excluding temporary work, these sectors account for 13% and 12% of job postings respectively and show near-stability year-on-year (-0,9%), supported by enduring structural needs. Conversely, HR/training (-33%), marketing/communication (-30%), and certain engineering and industrial specialties are experiencing significant declines.

Temporary employment is still driven by the construction and public works sector and industry.

In 2025, temporary employment will remain largely dominated by the construction (23% of job offers) and manufacturing (22%) sectors. While construction managed to limit its decline over the year (-3,7%), other sectors are under greater pressure, particularly logistics, supply chain, and transportation (-18%), production and maintenance (-11%), and industrial engineering (-8%). However, the end of the year suggests a targeted recovery in certain industrial segments, notably thanks to the food processing and aerospace sectors.

Nurse, housekeeper and caregiver: the jobs with the highest recruitment rates in 2025

In 2025, health and personal services jobs remain the most sought-after, with nurses, housekeepers and caregivers leading the way.

In permanent positions, demand is also concentrated in accounting (accounting staff and assistants) and industrial maintenance (technicians), while in temporary positions, the needs remain strong in industry (forklift operators, production operators), logistics (order pickers) and construction (masons).

Recruitment difficulties remain very much present

Despite the slowdown, recruitment pressures persist in several key sectors: construction, healthcare, personal services, education, and industry. Conversely, communication, marketing, and media jobs appear particularly competitive for candidates, with a reduced number of job openings and a high number of applications per position.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.