French Restaurants Turn to North African Workers Amid Severe Staff Shortage

Restaurateurs are desperately short of manpower for the summer. "Every year, we’re looking for about 100,000 employees. [...] Very quickly, in your vacation spots, you’ll notice that restaurants that are usually open seven days a week will close one day or a day and a half. They won’t be able to maintain their opening hours because they won’t have the hands in front to meet the demand," warns Alain Fontaine, president of the French Association of Master Restaurateurs (AFMR), this Wednesday on franceinfo.

The health crisis related to Covid-19 has exacerbated the recruitment problem in the sector. "Before the health crisis, I had a pool, but with Covid we didn’t have any interns or apprentices to renew it," confides the owner of the Café de Paris in Calais. "People have tasted rest and time spent with loved ones during the health crisis. They no longer want their daily life to be dictated by work. We only count on the motivated young people who come to us, otherwise we can’t find any staff. So we’ve resolved to stop service on Mondays: we’re not going to work up to 50 hours a week," explains Ludovic, at the Alaska located in Berck-sur-Mer.

For Alain Fontaine, immigration can be a solution. "We have wonderful young people coming out of the CFAs and high schools, but also wonderful people on the sidewalk waiting to work. We need to be able to take them in administratively. The catering of tomorrow will be partly saved by the immigration present on our territory." A solution that the Union of Hotel Trades (UMIH) has already resorted to. It is in talks with Morocco to recruit Moroccans. In addition to the kingdom, the UMIH has also engaged in discussions with Tunisia for the signing of a convention.