Influence

A French Company in Every U.S. State

There is not a single American state without a French business within its borders. From New York to Alaska, companies such as Airbus, Michelin, Bel, Louis Vuitton, Safran, Saint-Gobain, and Sodexo are creating jobs and contributing to the U.S. economy.
An Air Liquide plant in Longview, Texas. © Business Wire

In its most recent annual report, the department of economic affairs at the embassy of France in Washington D.C. offers a detailed review of the footprint of French companies in the United States:

– Some 4,800 French companies employed 728,500 people in the United States in 2018. This makes France the third biggest foreign employer in America after the U.K. and Japan.

– The equivalent of 129 billion dollars of products and services were traded between France and the United States in 2018, marking a 7% increase compared with the previous year.

– New York State and New Jersey are the two leading importers of French products in the U.S.A., while Texas and California are the two biggest exporters of products to France with the energy, transportation equipment, and chemical sectors high on the list.

– In 2018, Kentucky imported 2.5 billion dollars of French products – mainly automobile construction parts – while Ohio imported 1.6 billion dollars of French products.

– French groups Air Liquide – the global gas provider for the industrial, research, and medical sectors – and Sodexo – which supplies more than 10,000 institutional catering services in the United States – are both present in all 50 U.S. states. Insurer Axa is established in 34 states and the bank BNP in 24 states. The automobile parts manufacturer Michelin has branches in 9 states, and the agri-food company Bel is found in 4 states.

– In the aerospace sector, France is the second source of investment in the United States. Some 130 French companies like Safran, Thales and Airbus operate 340 research and production sites throughout the country. The Airbus assembly line in Mobile, Alabama alone employs 3,850 persons.

– In 2018, France was the leading foreign creator of jobs in South Carolina, Texas, and Louisiana, while French businesses created 87,500 jobs in California.


Number of jobs created by French companies in the United States:

1. California: 87,500
2. Texas: 62,800
3. New York: 56,700
4. New Jersey: 45,500
5. Illinois: 36,400
6. Florida: 31,100
7. Pennsylvania: 29,600

8. Indiana: 28,500
9. South Carolina: 25,100
10. Massachusetts: 22,700

11. Georgia: 22,000
12. Michigan: 20,900
13. North Carolina: 20,000

14. Ohio: 19,600
15. Tennessee: 19,900
16. Virginia: 14,900

17. Missouri: 11,500
18. Kentucky: 11,200
19. Arizona: 11,000
20. Louisiana: 10,400

21. Alabama: 10,000
22. Washington: 9,800
23. Maryland: 9,500
24. Oklahoma: 8,800
25. Wisconsin: 8,800
26. Connecticut: 7,400
27. Colorado: 7,300
28. Minnesota: 7,300
29. Arkansas: 6,300
30. Nevada: 6,000
31. Hawaii: 5,500
32. Utah: 5,500
33. Iowa: 4,400
34. Rhode Island: 4,300
35. Mississippi: 4,200
36. New Hampshire: 3,800
37. Oregon: 3,600
38. Nebraska: 3,300
39. Kansas: 3,200
40. New Mexico: 2,600
41. Idaho: 2,400
42. Delaware: 1,600
43. District of Columbia: 1,500
44. West Virginia: 1,500
45. South Dakota: 1,400
46. Vermont: 1,200
47. Maine: 1,000
48. Montana: 800
49. North Dakota: 600
50. Alaska: 400
51. Wyoming: 600