Artisanté Barometer: the impact of economic uncertainty and administrative burden on the health of heads of artisanal construction companies is confirmed

This new edition is the result of a survey carried out, in partnership with IRIS-ST and CNATP, among 2.106 business leaders. This barometer offers a comprehensive overview of the health of business leaders. It reveals that construction and landscape craftsmen are faced with a sustained pace of work, mainly due to an administrative burden which increases year after year.

A high pace of work intensified by administrative constraints

The year 2023 is marked by a persistent intensity in the pace of work of craft business managers. The study reveals that 55% of respondents work more than 50 hours a week, 48% say they work even on weekends and 60% of those surveyed admit to staying connected to their emails daily during their holidays. 78% of managers believe that their professional life encroaches on their private life. Their main concern remains the administrative burden they face and which represents a preponderant weight in their workload. The data indicates that this administrative responsibility constitutes a source of stress for 42% of respondents. Like every year, the barometer reveals that administrative pressure intensifies with the number of employees. In this context, the “Simplification Meetings” and the prospect of the simplification law expected in June are of crucial importance.

Moderate optimism that does not alter passion for the profession

In the uncertain economic context in which they operate, only 38% of business leaders surveyed say they are optimistic about the future. In particular, the fear of missing out on construction opportunities puts additional pressure on craftsmen. The study reveals that 452 respondents declared the sustainability of their business threatened. Another worrying data emerges: an increase of 8 points among respondents declaring in 2023 to have faced psychological difficulties (anxiety, depression, professional burnout). Indeed, 43% of artisans admit to having been confronted with this type of problem over the past year, compared to 35% in 2022 and 34% in 2021. Despite the difficulties encountered, 86% of business leaders nevertheless declare themselves fulfilled in their profession, confirming that passion for the profession is a constituent and characteristic element of craft professions.

Viewpoints

For Jean-Christophe Repon, President of CAPEB: “This barometer reveals the repercussions of the deterioration of the economic situation on the health of artisans. Order books are slow to fill due to a very sharp fall in the new home market with falling real estate transactions and generally sluggish renovation activity, all factors which explain this falling morale. We hope that the major revision of the MaPrimeRénov system obtained by CAPEB, which will necessarily contribute to relaunching activity, will have a positive impact on their morale. We also expect a lot from the simplification measures expected following the Simplification Meetings to which we contributed significantly. The proposals that we have formulated are, in fact, capable of reducing the administrative burden weighing on business leaders, strongly denounced in this barometer. »

For Françoise Despret, President of the CNATP: “The stress experienced by business leaders often stems from an overload of work, cash flow difficulties or uncertainties linked to the activity. On this last point, the confidence index of our business leaders measured during the last CNATP economic update is worrying. If the heads of craft businesses work a lot, listen to each other little... they begin to open themselves up to the possibility of getting help, aware that when they are doing well, the business is doing better. This awareness is a key and essential element. It is also the role of our Professional Organizations to accompany and support our colleagues throughout the life of their company. »

Methodology

The ARTISANTÉ barometer aims to collect data using a questionnaire to analyze and monitor the working conditions and health of construction and landscape business leaders. The online questionnaire was carried out over the period December 2023 – January 2024 among 2.106 business leaders with 19 employees.

Detailed barometer results available here

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.