Workers and construction costs: Challenges that are still key concerns of employers 

A survey conducted among the construction industry’s employers in spring 2026 shows that activity remains strong, but that issues related to workers and construction costs continue to be of concern to construction companies. 

More than three out of four employers (75.4%) plan to maintain or increase their volume of work over the next year. Hiring intentions also remain positive, as more than 60% of the respondents anticipate recruiting as many or more workers. 

The main obstacles identified by employers 

• The skills and quality of the workforce (59%) 
• Difficulty with recruiting workers (49%) 
• The increase in construction costs (38%)

Strategies favoured for recruitment

To deal with recruitment difficulties, employers turn mainly to:

• Hiring less-experienced workers (54%).
• Enhancement of wages or social benefits (35%).
• Greater flexibility of work schedules (34%).

There is still a great need for workers

Almost two-thirds of employers (62%) indicate that they have had difficulty recruiting over the last year. The recruitment of journeypersons remains particularly problematic: 84% of the employers concerned did not manage to fill all their needs. 

Read the spring 2026 survey (French only).