France Travail, France’s national public employment agency, and the Bernard Hayot Group (GBH), a major private-sector employer in France’s overseas territories, say they’ve struck a partnership aimed at expanding access to jobs in Réunion and other overseas departments.
GBH is one of the biggest economic players in France’s overseas regions. The company operates 11 Carrefour supermarkets in the French Caribbean and Réunion, alongside franchise businesses in mass retail, sporting goods and home improvement.
According to available data cited in the article, GBH reported annual profit of €227 million (about $245 million).
A deal announced amid social tensions in France’s overseas territories
The partnership lands in a politically sensitive moment for GBH. The group is regularly criticized by residents in overseas territories who accuse it of charging margins they consider too high—complaints tied to the long-running “vie chère” debate over the high cost of living.
In that context, an employment-focused agreement with France Travail is significant for GBH, which is seeking to demonstrate its local roots, the article says.
France Travail is a public institution headquartered in Paris. Based on INSEE data cited in the article, it officially has 53 staff members. Its mission is to place job seekers and support people into employment across the entire country, including overseas territories.
The employment picture in France’s overseas departments differs structurally from mainland France: unemployment has historically been higher, and local labor markets are smaller. For GBH, partnering with the country’s main public job-placement operator offers a direct recruitment channel; for France Travail, it provides access to a retail network spread across multiple territories.
“Octroi de mer” tax reform forms the economic backdrop
The partnership also comes as broader economic reforms are being discussed for France’s overseas territories. Bruno Le Maire has announced a “deep” reform of the octroi de mer, a tax specific to the overseas departments that applies to imports and is frequently criticized for its effect on prices.
Any change to that tax mechanism would directly affect large retail groups operating in the territories, including GBH. The article frames the coming months as a test of how employment policy and local economic competitiveness will be balanced.
