Table of contents

What is the construction sector?

The construction sector actually includes two main types of trades:
- those related to the building sector;
- those related to public works.

In all cases, the purpose of these trades is to construct buildings and infrastructure for private individuals, professionals, the state or decentralised levels of the state.

The building

These are the trades that build and develop infrastructure for private use. They are therefore used for private or entrepreneurial purposes. Examples are commercial premises, offices, residential buildings and houses, private medical practices, etc.

Public works

The trades are much the same. However, the professionals construct buildings for public authorities: town halls, colleges, high schools, sports facilities, public hospitals, etc.

Companies working in the public sector often respond to calls for tender. They may therefore have occasional or recurring needs for temporary staff, depending on the tenders they win.

Here are the main occupations of these two major professional bodies

All of them can be practised as temporary workers. As you will see, some jobs overlap and belong to both categories.

The building

Crane operators, plasterers, painters, team leaders, site managers, ironworkers, tilers, formworkers, branch workers, etc.

Public works

Site managers, site supervisors, pipefitters, machine operators, bricklayers, site managers, carpenters, plumbers, house painters, lorry drivers, rake operators, etc.

Which construction jobs are most in demand as temporary workers?

Here are the 4 professions for which there are the most vacancies in temporary employment in recent years:
- painters,
- masons,
- drivers of construction equipment ;
- electricians.

These are skilled jobs for which a minimum of CAP training is usually required. On the other hand, it is not essential to have a BAC.

What are the most popular temporary jobs in the construction industry?

These are jobs that can be performed without the BAC :
- electrician ;
- tiler ;
- house painter ;
- plasterer.

There are also all the jobs related to site management:
- site manager ;
- works manager.

There is also a strong demand for construction jobs:
- manoeuvre ;
- roofer ;
- mason ;
- formworker.

Finally, machine operator jobs also attract temporary workers:
- construction equipment operator ;
- crane operator ;
- aerial platform operator.

Of course, although these jobs are given to men, they are equally accessible to women. Some of these professions are becoming more and more feminised.

Why work in the construction industry as a temp?

In France, there is a strong demographic expansion. All territories are concerned. Therefore, there is a lot of renovation and construction work going on all the time.

In addition, various tax schemes and subsidies encourage and facilitate this type of work. There is therefore a constant and growing need for manpower in this sector. Temporary workers are in great demand. In particular, they make it possible to increase the quantity of work to be carried out over a certain period. Some companies can also commit to more projects by using temporary workers.

The main advantage of temporary work in the construction industry is therefore the high demand for labour. Temporary workers are offered more satisfactory working conditions, as there are more offers than candidates: not all job offers in the construction industry are filled. Moreover, it is possible to find offers everywhere on the territory: no need to move to find a job.

Would you prefer a very short-term job to a long temporary assignment?

This should not be a problem. As the demand from companies is very high, it is likely that you will find the ideal assignment length for you.