Insee Première · December 2025 · n° 2084

Industrial enterprises in 2023: diverse in their activities, larger, more productive and more internationalised than others

Industrial enterprises employed 3.4 million people in France, including 2.9 million in manufacturing. Another 0,5 million people were employed in enterprises of other industrial activities: mining and quarrying, electricity, gas, steam and air‑conditioning supply, water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation.

The sector was highly concentrated. Around 100 large enterprises employed 34% of the workforce, and nearly 2,100 intermediate‑sized enterprises employed 35%, for a total of 69%. This was much higher than in other sectors, where large enterprises and medium‑sized enterprises together employed 49% of employees. Smaller industrial companies, comprising 25,000 SMEs (excluding micro‑enterprises) and 295,000 micro‑enterprises, together employed 31% of employees in industry, compared with 51% in other sectors.

Industrial enterprises had higher labour productivity than others, with value added per employee exceeding the average for non‑agricultural and non‑financial enterprises by 19%. They paid higher wages, by 11% on average.

Industrial large and intermediate‑sized enterprises were highly internationalised due to their cross‑border operations. They alone accounted for 59% of the export turnover of all enterprises, across all sectors.