Executive employment is doing well in Alsace, but recruitment problems and the war in Ukraine are hampering the recovery: this is the observation drawn up by the Association for Executive Employment (APEC) of the Grand Est region Wednesday 27 April , on the eve of the publication of the latest unemployment figures for the first quarter of 2022.
Companies have rebounded well following the Covid crisis, but they are now struggling to recruit, according to Jacques Triponel, regional delegate of APEC. “After a sharp drop during the pandemic, the number of vacancies rose sharply. Today, we even have more job vacancies than in 2019”. Almost half of these positions are to be filled in Alsace, where 5,270 recruitments were made in 2021.
“We can already see the effect of the war in Ukraine”
Despite these offers in number, the candidates do not jostle. “The number of hires is down 4% in the region compared to 2019, and many positions are not filled”, emphasizes Jacques Triponel. In addition to the structural difficulties related to the lack of trained candidates, particularly for IT-related positions, recruiters are faced with new criteria from applicants. “Offering one or more days of teleworking has now become almost essential to be attractive”notes Jacques Triponel.
The conflict in Ukraine and its repercussions also comes slow down the excellent employment prospects for 2022 in Alsace. “We are already seeing an effect of the war in Ukraine. Recruiters are anticipating possible consequences.” This is especially the case “in the Alsatian companies which have foreign capital, or which export, very numerous in the region”, emphasizes Jacques Triponel. Result, companies are delaying hiring, waiting to see how the situation evolves. Despite this, “we expect to end the year on a positive note, with a 2 to 3% increase in hiring”, concludes Jacques Triponel.