France’s national statistics office INSEE has recently released a report showing that employment in France’s automotive sector fell by one-third between 2010 and 2023.
This includes vehicle manufacturers, parts producers, and other suppliers.
Carmakers recorded the steepest job cuts, eliminating 46,000 positions over the 13-year period.
Today, Renault and Stellantis — which owns more than a dozen brands including Citroën, Fiat, and Peugeot — have been shifting operations to lower labor cost European countries such as Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Portugal, and Slovakia.
Meanwhile, equipment and parts manufacturers reduced their French workforce by 31.5%, equivalent to 92,700 full time jobs.
Companies including Michelin, Valeo, Faurecia, Bosch, Legris, and Dumarey have all been closing factories in France.
The contrast with non automotive sectors underlines the severity: employment outside the auto industry remained broadly stable, falling by just 1%.
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