A summer as a waiter in Béjaïa, two months picking dates in Biskra, a Ramadan behind the counter of a pastry shop: in Algeria, part of hiring follows the calendar of the seasons more than the calendar of companies. These jobs are short, often found by word of mouth, and that is where undeclared work and unpaid hours concentrate. This guide gives the calendar of the seasons that hire, the rules that apply to a seasonal contract (law no. 90-11 of 21 April 1990) and the method to land a job without falling into the traps. For the general framework of short contracts, see also our guide fixed-term or permanent contract.
The calendar of the seasons that hire
The periods below are indicative: they vary from year to year with the weather, the crop and, for Ramadan, the lunar calendar. The wilayas listed are the main areas, not a closed list. The last column is the most useful one: it is when employers build their teams.
| Season | Indicative period | Main areas | Jobs in demand | When to apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grain harvest | June – July | High plateaus: Tiaret, Sétif, Mila, Oum El Bouaghi, Sidi Bel Abbès | Combine and tractor drivers, truck drivers, handlers at collection points | April – May |
| Summer season | June – September (peak in July–August) | Coast: Oran, Aïn Témouchent, Mostaganem, Tipaza, Algiers, Boumerdès, Béjaïa, Jijel, Skikda, Annaba, El Tarf | Waiters, cooks, dishwashers, receptionists, room attendants, beach attendants, parking attendants, entertainers, sales staff | March – May |
| Processing tomatoes | July – September | El Tarf, Guelma, Skikda, Annaba | Pickers, cannery workers, drivers | June |
| Grape harvest | August – September | Mascara, Aïn Témouchent | Pickers, cellar and packing workers | July |
| Back-to-school | Late August – September | All wilayas, especially large cities | Sales staff in bookshops-stationers and clothing shops, school-bus drivers, canteen staff | July – August |
| Dates | October – December | Biskra, El Oued, Touggourt, Ouargla, El M’Ghair | Climbers-pickers, sorters, packing workers, forklift operators, drivers | September |
| Olives and oil mills | November – February | Béjaïa, Tizi Ouzou, Bouira, Jijel, Bordj Bou Arréridj | Pickers, oil-mill workers, drivers | October |
| Citrus | December – March | Mitidja (Blida, Algiers, Tipaza, Boumerdès), Chlef | Pickers, packing-station workers | November |
| Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr | In 2027: from about 8 February to about 9 March | All wilayas | Pastry cooks, sellers of zlabia and qalb el louz, bakers, convenience-store staff, delivery riders, clothing sellers before Eid | December – January |
The seasonal contract: what the law guarantees you
Algerian labour law does not create a separate « seasonal contract »: a seasonal job is a fixed-term contract concluded for one of the cases of article 12 of law 90-11, here « extra workload » or « seasonal reasons ». Every other rule of the law applies as for a permanent employee, pro rata to the length of the contract. The table below lists what you must get and what you check before you start.
| Topic | Rule | What you check |
|---|---|---|
| In writing | The fixed-term contract must be written and state its length and reason; without a written contract, the relationship is presumed open-ended (art. 11 and 12) | A contract signed in two copies, the end date or the event that ends the contract (« end of the summer season »), the job, the pay |
| Pay | At least the SNMG for full time; pay is made at regular intervals and shown on a payslip | The gross monthly or daily amount, the pay date, the payment method; see the gross-to-net simulator |
| CNAS | The employee is registered with the CNAS within 10 days of hiring (law no. 83-14), including for a contract of a few weeks | Your social-security number on the payslip, or an affiliation certificate requested from the CNAS office |
| Working time | 40 h per week (ordinance no. 97-03); overtime is exceptional, capped and paid at least 50 % extra (art. 31 and 32) | Written working hours and the count of hours in high season |
| Rest | One weekly rest day; a rest day or public holiday worked gives a compensatory rest day plus the premium (art. 33 to 35) | The July–August schedule and the Eid days |
| Leave | 2.5 days per month worked (art. 39 to 42); days not taken are paid at the end of the contract | The « leave compensation » line in the final settlement |
| Minors | Minimum age 16, guardian’s authorisation, no dangerous, unhealthy or harmful work (art. 15); no night work, between 9 pm and 5 am, before 19 (art. 27 and 28) | Closing hours of restaurants, cafés and beaches |
| End of contract | The contract ends on the agreed date or event; the employer hands over a work certificate and the final settlement | The work certificate (useful for your CV and next contracts) and the last payslip |
Finding a seasonal job in 6 steps
- 1
Pick your season and wilaya
Start from the table: a season close to home saves the cost of housing. If you go to the coast or the South, ask at the first contact whether housing and meals are provided, on what terms, and whether their cost is deducted from pay.
- 2
Apply 6 to 8 weeks ahead
Resorts and hotels hire their summer teams between March and May; date farms and oil mills at the end of summer and in October; pastry shops a few weeks before Ramadan. A candidate who shows up on 1 July mostly finds the jobs nobody wanted.
- 3
Register at the wilaya’s ANEM office
Employers pass their vacancies to the ANEM (law no. 04-19). Register as a jobseeker at the local office or on the Wassit portal, and say that you accept a short contract and when you are available.
- 4
Approach employers directly
Hotels, seaside restaurants, pastry shops, cooperatives and farms, date-packing units, oil mills: a large share of seasonal hiring happens on site. Go at quiet hours with a one-page CV and a copy of your ID, never the original.
- 5
Watch public announcements
In spring, Civil Protection directorates of coastal wilayas hire seasonal lifeguards, and youth directorates hire holiday-camp leaders. The conditions (age, swimming ability, diploma) and dates are in each wilaya’s announcement: rely on that alone.
- 6
Set an alert and keep a short CV
On Chghol, set an alert by job (waiter, cook, sales assistant, delivery rider, driver) and by wilaya. A one-page CV with your exact dates (« available from 15 June to 15 September ») and your past seasons is enough; if it is your first experience, see our guide to the first job without experience.
The 6 traps of seasonal work
- Paying to get the job. « File fees », « place booking », « compulsory paid training »: placement is free for the jobseeker (law no. 04-19). An intermediary who asks for money is not a recruiter.
- Working undeclared. Without CNAS registration, an accident in a kitchen or on a farm is not covered as a work accident, and the season does not count towards your pension. Ask for registration in the first week.
- The unpaid « trial day » that lasts a week. Every day of actual work is paid, probation included. If the employer wants to test you, have the length of the probation written into the contract.
- Housing and meals « deducted » without anything in writing. If they are taken from your pay, the amount must appear in the contract and on the payslip. A wage advertised as « board and lodging included » with no figure quickly becomes a cut-price wage.
- High-season hours paid at the normal rate. In July–August or during Ramadan, days get longer: beyond 40 h per week, every hour is paid at least 50 % extra. Write down your hours every day.
- Leaving the original of your ID card or passport. A copy is enough for the hiring file. An employer who keeps your papers « as a guarantee » stops you from leaving: refuse.
After the season: turning a short contract into experience
A season done well is a CV line, a reference and often a promise of work for the following year. Before leaving, ask for your work certificate and your last payslip, check that your unused leave days are paid (see leave and public holidays 2027) and ask the manager whether they agree to be named as a reference. On your CV, describe the season with measurable facts, for example « served 120 covers a night », « sorting and grading dates on a line » or « ran the till alone during Ramadan ».
Are you an employer? A written fixed-term contract stating the seasonal reason and the end date, CNAS registration within 10 days and a posted schedule protect you as much as the employee. A contract renewed every year for a job that is in fact permanent exposes you to reclassification as an open-ended contract.
Frequently asked questions
Does a seasonal job give paid leave?
Yes. Leave is earned at 2.5 days per month worked, whatever the length of the contract (law 90-11, art. 39 to 42). At the end of a three-month season, about 7.5 unused days are paid in your final settlement.
From what age can you work in the summer?
16, with written authorisation from the legal guardian, and never for dangerous, unhealthy or harmful work (art. 15). Before 19, night work, between 9 pm and 5 am, is forbidden (art. 27 and 28): a 17-year-old waiter therefore does not close a beach restaurant. Below 16, only an apprenticeship contract is possible.
Must the employer register me with the CNAS for one month of work?
Yes. Registration is due within 10 days of hiring, whatever the length of the contract (law no. 83-14). It covers you for work accidents and the period counts towards your pension.
Can a student sign a seasonal contract?
Yes. A student of age, or a minor aged 16 or over with the guardian’s authorisation, can sign a fixed-term contract like any employee, with the same rights. A compulsory internship of the course, however, falls under an internship agreement, not an employment contract.
My summer contract is renewed every year: am I on a permanent contract?
Not automatically. If the job is truly seasonal (hotel closed in winter, harvest), successive fixed-term contracts remain possible. If the job exists all year, the seasonal reason no longer holds and the contract can be reclassified as open-ended (art. 14): gather your contracts and payslips, then ask the labour inspectorate for advice.
What if the employer does not pay the end of the season?
Claim in writing (dates, amount, documents), then refer the matter to the wilaya’s labour inspectorate: it is free. If conciliation fails, the court, social section, has jurisdiction (law no. 90-04 of 6 February 1990 on the settlement of individual labour disputes).
- Law no. 90-11 of 21 April 1990 on employment relations, as amended (art. 11–15, 27–28, 31–35, 39–42) — Official Journal
- Ordinance no. 97-03 of 11 January 1997 setting the legal working time — Official Journal
- Law no. 83-14 of 2 July 1983 on the obligations of those liable for social security — Official Journal
- Law no. 04-19 of 25 December 2004 on the placement of workers and employment control — Official Journal
- National Employment Agency (ANEM) — Wassit portal
- National Social Insurance Fund (CNAS)
- Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security
Texts consulted at the update date of the article.