The manufacturing industry from 2006 to 2015: agri-food and aerospace and space construction resilient in the face of sector downturn

Between 2006 and 2015, the manufacturing industry lost 27,300 employing establishments (-18%) and 530,000 employees (-16%). The average size of institutions remains stable. The 2008-2009 crisis hit this sector hard, when it was already in decline previously, and this trend continued.

In almost all industrial activities, the number of employing establishments and the workforce is falling sharply. The biggest declines came in the textile, clothing and leather industries, wood, paper and printing, the manufacture of rubber and plastic products, metallurgy and the manufacture of metal products. In the manufacturing of transport equipment, the automotive industry is highly affected, particularly its establishments with 250 employees or more.

In the manufacturing industry, the agri-food sector is holding up better, confirming its predominant position. At a more detailed level, certain specific activities are on the rise, including aerospace and space construction.

The manufacturing industry is declining throughout the country, particularly in the Paris basin, the north, east and centre of France.