La Réunion Développement, in partnership with France Travail, organized a special Employment edition of its Café Éco on February 11, 2026.
This meeting brought together socio-economic actors, institutional representatives, and companies for a highlight dedicated to the recent economic situation and labor market dynamics.
The event provided insight into the main economic challenges facing the region, analyzed current trends, and opened up discussion on future prospects.
The program included a detailed presentation of the local economic situation, a presentation by France Travail on employment indicators, an update on the REELLE 2 study, and a discussion with participants.
Many thanks to France Travail for its hospitality and fruitful collaboration, as well as to all the participants for the quality of their contributions and feedback.
Key figures to remember
Economic situation
- Economic growth in 2025 estimated by LRD at +1.7% in Réunion (revision of the October 2025 estimate: 1.5%)
- Inflation slowing: +1.4% in 2025 after +2.8% in 2024
- Dynamic business creation (15,370, or +18% in 2025), and a decline in bankruptcies despite a level that remains high (1,060 businesses, or -5% over 12 months in November)
- Recovery in the existing real estate market: +17% increase in revenue from transactions in 2025 (€69 million), despite a +6% rise in prices
- Construction sector in difficulty: 18,410 employees in 2025 (-4%)
- Recovery in passenger vehicle sales in 2025 (+6%; 26,400 registrations), decline in commercial vehicles (-5%; 5,040 sales)
- ECB and Fed key interest rates to remain unchanged in January 2026 amid inflation of close to 2% in the eurozone
Employment Focus
- Employment rate in Réunion: 52% (+5 points in 5 years), compared with 69% in mainland France
- Growth in private sector employment in accommodation and catering and health and social work (+500 employees each), as well as in transport and administrative and support services (+400), but a marked decline in construction (-700)
- Decline in recruitment in 2025: 462,000 DPAEs (-3% over one year)
- Main recruiting sectors: health and social services, administrative and support services, accommodation and catering, and commerce
- Of the 156 occupations studied, 22 are under extreme pressure, particularly in relation to training and employment issues
Find out more about the indicators and the outlook for 2026 by checking out the infographic dedicated to Café Eco on February 11
👉Click on the link to the dynamic presentation
What is Café Eco?
Café Eco, organized by La Réunion Développement, is a quarterly event that serves several purposes:
- analyze the macroeconomic and sectoral situation of the territory over the past period
- present economic and structural indicators for a specific theme or sector
- decipher trends and propose an estimate of GDP growth
- facilitate discussion among socio-economic actors on the issues they face and their expectations
Find out more:
See previous editions of Café Éco:
- Café Éco, July 19, 2023 - Focus on Industry
- Café Éco, October 6, 2023 - Focus on Tourism
- Café Éco, February 6, 2024 - Focus on International Affairs and Geopolitics
- Café Éco on April 26, 2024 - Focus on Construction
- Café Éco on July 2, 2024 - Focus on Energy
- Café Éco, October 10, 2024 - Focus on Financing the Economy
- Café Éco, February 6, 2025 - Focus on Industry
- Café Éco, April 29, 2025 - Focus on International Affairs
- Café Éco, October 22, 2025 - Focus on Growth Drivers
- Rekha GRIMOIRE, Chargée d'études économiques et statistiques
- rekha.grimoire[at]lareuniondeveloppement.re
- Contact La Réunion Développement : 0262 20 21 21
