Publication of our 2025 review of employment and investment in France

Record investments, jobs under pressure: analysis of French dynamics in 2025

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In 2025, France recorded a historic high in investment, driven in particular by data centers. However, job creation remained modest and concentrated in a few sectors and regions.

This structural imbalance is at the heart of our analysis of employment and investment, which is part of the content we share exclusively with our subscribers.

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💰 Record figure 
€160 billion in investments announced (+61% compared to 2024).

🏭 Industrial paradox :
Factory balance at -63 (worst level since 2014).

📉 Collapse in employment :
Net creation divided by 30 (+9,500 → +310).

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In this edition: Three key trends emerge

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🗄️Data centers

These projects alone account for €67 billion in announcements, or 42% of national investment, largely driven by the momentum of the Choose France summit. These projects position France among the world leaders in the sector. However, their direct impact on employment remains limited: 2,800 jobs for €67 billion invested, illustrating a particularly high capital intensity.

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🏭 The acceleration of factory closures

These are up 32% compared to 2024, primarily affecting the food and metallurgy industries. Small and medium-sized industrial units (SMEs and mid-cap companies) appear to be the most vulnerable, further weakening the local productive fabric.

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📈 The return of large companies to job creation

In 2025, they will show a net increase of 34,000 jobs, compared with 6,800 in 2024, marking a clear change in momentum. However, this rebound should be viewed with caution: the reversal observed in January 2026 could be a warning sign for the employment trajectory for the rest of the year.

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📺 Join us on February 20 at 2:30 p.m. for our next webinar reserved for our subscribers.

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We look forward to presenting this latest report to you in detail. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.

Don't hesitate to sign up 📬 Contact: shaima.ouriemmi@trendeo.net

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📊 As a producer of economic data since 2009, we help public authorities, manufacturers, and local governments anticipate trends. Twice a year, we publish an in-depth analysis of employment and investment in France, sent exclusively to our subscribers, to shed light on underlying trends and weak signals in French industry.

📌 To take things further, we also offer customized analyses tailored to your industry or region.

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👉 For more information, please contact us. Our teams will be delighted to show you our tools, data, and analyses on investment projects in France and around the world.

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