Fall seasonal jobs: from the grape harvest to year-end reinforcements

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Which harvests hire in the fall?

In France, the grape harvest runs from late August to October in Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Loire Valley, Alsace, Languedoc and the Rhône Valley. Apples and pears follow in Limousin, Anjou and the south-east until November.

Walnuts in Périgord and Isère are gathered in October, chestnuts in Ardèche, kiwis in the south-west in November, and olives in Provence and Corsica in November and December. Spain and Italy offer similar olive and citrus work.

Indicative fall calendar

Shoulder season and year-end retail

Autumn school holidays extend activity at theme parks, campsites and tourist sites. From October, online-retail warehouses and supermarkets hire for Black Friday and the festive season, often through temporary-work agencies, with short training on arrival.

Trade fairs, autumn markets and sporting events also hire hosts and set-up crews for a few days at a time. These short assignments, often through agencies, combine easily with a harvest or with studies.

France’s grape-harvest contract

France has a dedicated grape-harvest contract covering picking, carrying and related preparation work. It lasts at most one month and can be signed by employees on paid leave or by civil servants, subject to their own employer’s rules.

Several harvest contracts can be signed in the same year, within limits on their total length. The contract suits people who want a few weeks of outdoor work without leaving their main job, as long as their employer’s rules allow it.

Who can work the fall harvest in Europe?

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens work freely across the EU under local labour law. Non-EU nationals need a work authorisation, usually requested by the employer, or a working holiday visa from a partner country. Tourist visas never allow harvest work.

Through EURES, European employment services publish harvest vacancies from neighbouring countries such as Spain, Italy and Portugal, and advisers can explain local contracts, pay and social security before a candidate commits to travelling.

Southern hemisphere options in the fall

The European autumn is spring in the southern hemisphere. In New Zealand, lambing and shearing start from August and tourism opens in November. Working holiday visas for Australia and New Zealand let young people combine these seasons with travel.

Students during the fall

University terms reduce student availability, leaving more places for other profiles. September harvests can still fit a light timetable, and non-EU students in France must keep within their limit of 964 working hours per year.

Pay and working conditions

From 1 June 2026, France’s minimum wage is 12.31 euros gross per hour, and the national agricultural agreement sets minimum rates by grade. Some estates pay carriers more, with overtime premiums during the busiest weeks. Holiday pay worth 10% is added at the end.

Days start early, sometimes in the rain, with work bent over vines or on ladders in orchards. Meals may be provided by the estate. Gloves, waterproof boots and rain gear are essential for long outdoor weeks.

Where to stay during the harvest

Some wine estates still house pickers in dormitories or offer a camping pitch, but this is becoming rarer and many now recruit locally. Ask about housing when applying, and consider car-sharing between villages if accommodation is not included.

Pickers without housing often organise car-sharing between villages, with the employer fixing an early meeting point. Rural campsites in wine regions stay open in September and sometimes offer reduced rates for seasonal workers.

Steps to find a fall seasonal job

1. Match harvests and regions to your availability.
2. Apply to estates and cooperatives from June for the grape harvest.
3. Search seasonal listings by region on public employment portals.
4. Register with temporary-work agencies for year-end logistics.
5. Check housing, meals and transport before committing.
6. Sign a written contract before the first day.
7. Pack gloves, waterproof shoes and rain gear.

Documents and budget

Employers ask for ID, a social security number, bank details and, for non-EU nationals, a valid work authorisation. Budget for travel to rural vineyards, often poorly served by public transport, and a few nights of camping before the harvest starts.

A personal vehicle makes it much easier to move from one harvest to the next within the same region. Without one, choosing estates near a railway station or a town with bus links limits travel costs and early-morning stress.

Mistakes to avoid in the fall

• Turning up in a wine region without a contract hoping to be hired on the spot.
• Paying a platform to receive grape-harvest offers.
• Ignoring cold and wet weather when packing.
• Accepting piece-rate pay without a guaranteed hourly minimum wage.
• Working on a tourist visa, which can lead to removal and future bans.

How long does a grape harvest last?

A harvest usually lasts from eight days to three weeks depending on the estate and the weather. France’s harvest contract is capped at one month, but successive contracts are possible by moving from early southern vineyards to northern ones.

Can I do the harvest while keeping my main job?

Yes, in France an employee on paid leave can sign a harvest contract, and a civil servant can too, within the cumulation rules of their administration. Maximum working hours and rest periods still apply, and the harvest cannot overlap with working hours owed to the main employer.

Do warehouses hire people without experience for the holidays?

Yes, order picking, packing and sorting are open to beginners after short training. Assignments are often signed through agencies, which in France add an end-of-assignment bonus and holiday pay to the final payslip. Night and weekend shifts are common in December.

Can 16-year-olds join the grape harvest?

Yes, in France with written parental consent and within 8 hours a day and 35 hours a week. 14- and 15-year-olds may also take part during the autumn school holidays, subject to approval by the labour inspectorate.