The New Reality of Logistics Jobs

Christine Battesti : In 2021, we recorded a 10% decline in job-seeker demand in the logistics sector, while job listings rose by 44%. The most sought-after occupations are warehouse workers, order pickers, forklift operators and warehousing logistics technicians, mostly for full-time permanent positions, with opportunities for permanent student contracts and temporary work. It should be noted that, across all sectors, 12% of temporary assignments are in logistics. For work in the sector, soft skills are given particular attention. Candidates must be thorough, organized, team-oriented and able to manage stress in order to be productive. Technical skills, such as authorization to operate material-handling equipment, can be acquired through adaptation measures when an employer wants to hire a candidate provided they complete an additional module, or through continuing education. Pôle emploi delivered 84,000 training programs in 2021 across the country for the logistics sector alone. Sixty-seven percent of trainees found employment within six months of completing their training.

Erwan Mohib : Three types of jobs are particularly sought after in warehouses: skilled positions such as order pickers, forklift operators and loaders; unskilled positions such as packaging workers and material handlers; and middle-management roles such as team leaders. Beyond basic skills—being able to read, write and do arithmetic—we ensure that candidates understand how a warehouse operates, notably by arranging on-site placements or using virtual-reality headsets, in order to make lasting hires. As for technical skills, such as authorization to operate material-handling vehicles through a CACES license (certificate of aptitude for safe operation), or knowledge of safety rules, we train candidates ourselves because the sector faces a labor shortage.

Christine Battesti : Industry and logistics are two dynamic sectors that are hiring and offer career prospects. They also share a history of modernization in recent years, particularly in working conditions and safety. Lastly, the ability to meet deadlines, the hands-on and customer-oriented nature of the work, the pace of work and safety instructions are comparable, whether one works in the food industry or in logistics. Employees can therefore move easily from one sector to the other, provided they have the soft skills mentioned above.

Erwan Mohib : Has logistics become the new industry? In Hauts-de-France, for example, warehouses have replaced the mines of the past in the landscape, according to the director of our long-established Lens agency. But that is where the parallel ends. These are committed players serving their customers. In recruitment, common skills can be identified across these two business sectors, but again, soft skills are essential.

Erwan Mohib : I have worked in logistics and transportation for 12 years. Until a few years ago, logistics was the poor relation of my business, and we had difficulty attracting candidates. That is changing due to a combination of factors. First, logistics is expanding rapidly and hiring. The opening of a new warehouse generates between 100 and 500 new jobs. In addition, it is a sector where social mobility works very well: you can build a career in logistics starting out as an order picker. At the same time, employee well-being is genuinely taken into account in warehouses. Logistics companies are also making major communication efforts to publicize these developments, particularly through social media, and thereby attract young people.

Christine Battesti : The average age of logistics employees was 41 in 2021, according to the Forward-looking Observatory of Jobs and Qualifications in Transportation and Logistics (OPTL). Turnover stood at 14%, which is fairly low. Those under 25 account for 13% of job-seeker demand in the goods-movement sector. Although logistics enables them to enter the workforce more easily and offers advancement prospects, it holds little appeal for them. We are working to make these occupations more attractive. We include the issue in our monthly #TousMobilisés operations, during which agencies in our network hold job-dating events, present training programs and introduce people to the jobs... We also arrange facilitated placements with companies that open their doors to job seekers. For young people who do not always have a driver’s license or a vehicle to reach warehouses located on the outskirts of urban areas, Pôle emploi can offer to combine obtaining a standard driver’s license with a CACES license.

Erwan Mohib : Upward mobility is still possible in this sector, and more and more companies are giving themselves the means to help employees advance. You can start as a material handler and manage an entire site a few years later. An entry-level worker starts at the minimum wage, between €1,678 gross and €1,750 gross. Their pay can quickly increase through bonuses. Advancement then comes with seniority. Team leaders earn between €1,800 gross and €2,300 gross depending on experience, while directors earn between €2,500 gross and €5,000 gross, or even more, depending on the sites and number of employees.

Christine Battesti : Average tenure in the logistics sector, across all occupations, is nine years. Women account for 23% of logistics jobs. Pôle emploi is working to raise awareness of these occupations among women in order to foster gender diversity in the sector. In addition, logistics is a dynamic sector in terms of inclusion, particularly with regard to disability. In terms of career prospects, unskilled employees can become material handlers, forklift operators, order pickers or even team leaders after a few years. Others move into road freight transportation or support functions such as merchandising or sales services.

Erwan Mohib : Logistics has not always enjoyed a good reputation. Opening warehouse doors helps break down barriers by showcasing changes in working conditions and occupations without concealing the constraints inherent in these jobs.

Christine Battesti : Dedicating a week to a sector increases its visibility. And bringing together professionals who present logistics jobs and how they are evolving on site has a particularly strong impact. Following Logistics Week, Pôle emploi will organize a nationwide transportation and logistics week in every region from December 5 to 9. The concentration of these events will help change the sector’s image among the general public and make it more attractive.

Christine Battesti : Working conditions have become less arduous thanks to digitization and automation, raising racking to avoid excessive bending, optimizing package weights, and using voice-command headsets to eliminate unnecessary movement... Employee well-being is taken into account in warehouses through the creation of break rooms and consultations with osteopaths... Lastly, measures are being deployed to reduce workplace accidents: dedicated CACES training, the use of sound indicators and visual identification of new arrivals.

Erwan Mohib : The physical strain of work is genuinely taken into account, and solutions are being implemented to reduce it. For example, it is becoming common to have employees do warm-up exercises before starting their shifts or to organize on-site visits by physical therapists. These initiatives are part of an overall approach aimed at retaining employees and making the logistics sector more attractive. At Leader, we support our clients on CSR issues and have defined priorities across the three pillars of sustainable development—economic, environmental and social—drawing on and applying ISO 26000, for which the group has been assessed at the exemplary level. We are also ISO 45001 certified, attesting to our commitment in this area.

* Leader Group offers employment and skills solutions through a network of 140 employment agencies in France, employs 730 permanent staff and provides work to more than 100,000 temporary workers.
In 2021, Leader generated revenue of €665 million. The logistics/transport business unit accounts for 24% of this business volume and grows year after year alongside the development of this sector.
The Leader network is part of Actual Leader Group, the fifth-largest player in France’s labor market.