Press

French industry is recovering. After the slowdown in 2020, which was marked by a higher number of industrial site closures than openings, France has started to open more factories than it closed this year.

According to provisional data communicated by the Trendeo consultancy, over the period from 1 January to 2 December, France has a positive balance of around one hundred additional sites compared to last year. This is the first time in more than ten years that this has been the case and confirms the slow recovery of reindustrialisation that has been underway for several years.

The movement of relocation and net opening of factories is accelerating in France. But this is not enough to halt the deterioration of foreign trade.

Is industry back? The closure of the SAM foundry in Aveyron recently cast a pall over the industry, reminding us that many industrial activities are in danger. Other players shaken by the environmental transition will close down.

The picture of factory openings and closures in 2021 is nonetheless encouraging. In 2016, Trendeo caused a sensation by pointing out an unprecedented positive balance: 135 factory creations against... 134 closures.

More than 100 net factory creations in 2021.

This year, the balance will exceed 100 net creations, with a particularly low number of sites having closed. This is the effect of the "whatever it takes" measures, both defensive and offensive.

In such a context, it has been difficult to develop major projects and therefore to announce job creations. The Trendeo observatory has drawn up a map showing the difference between the number of jobs lost and the creations announced, before and after the crisis broke out.

The Grand Est largely benefits

In France, all regions have been in deficit, except two: the Pays de la Loire and the Grand Est. The latter is the champion: between the jobs cut and those announced, the region recorded a profit of 6,409 jobs.