The November 2025 labour market, based on data from the Excelsior Information System, shows a slowdown in overall demand compared with the previous year, with 443,000 planned contracts for the month and more than 1.3 million for the November 2025–January 2026 quarter. The drop of 12,000 positions compared with November 2024 indicates a more cautious approach by businesses, even as services continue to account for the largest share of hiring and manufacturing retains a stable base thanks to mechatronics and higher-tech production. The market remains structurally strained, with 45.7% of profiles difficult to find, mainly due to a shortage of candidates.
Within this landscape, the freight transport, warehousing and logistics sector confirms its strategic role in supporting supply chains and e-commerce flows. Companies operating in these services expect 32,330 hires for the month and 90,000 for the quarter, equal to around 7.3% of total demand. The sector continues to rely heavily on foreign labour, which is expected to account for 27.0% of new entries, one of the highest shares across service industries.
When looking at logistics activities across the entire production system, the weight is even greater. This broader scope includes logistics functions not only within specialised operators but across all types of companies. These activities will absorb 13% of total planned hires, amounting to around 56,350 positions across transport and distribution, procurement and internal handling. Transport and distribution will account for 41,450 entries, while internal handling and supply processes will take up 14,900. This confirms the central role of operational and technical skills linked to the continuity of physical goods flows, in a scenario where activity levels remain high despite the slowdown seen in other sectors.
The most in-demand roles continue to be those directly involved in the movement of goods. Road freight drivers are the top profile, with 12,390 expected hires, followed by warehouse workers and handling staff at 10,820. Van drivers and forklift operators are expected to reach 4,410 and 1,780 hires respectively, while warehouse logistics coordinators account for 1,820. The concentration of these roles reflects the need for a specialised workforce in road transport, storage, order preparation and internal handling, all essential to sustaining e-commerce volumes and distribution chains.
A critical issue for operators is the persistent recruitment difficulty, which in logistics often exceeds the national average. Demand for motor vehicle operators shows a recruitment difficulty rate of 50.3%, with 35.2% linked to a lack of candidates. Challenges are even more pronounced for lifting and handling machine operators, where difficulty reaches 56.1%. The rate falls to 28.7% for logistics administrative staff, while non-qualified personnel for goods movement and delivery face a difficulty of 26.3%. For vehicle operators, specific experience is required in 49.7% of cases, a factor that continues to affect companies’ ability to quickly integrate new staff.
