Against the backdrop of a worldwide downturn in foreign direct investment flows, the Invest in France Agency and French regional development agencies recorded 639 job-creating foreign investment projects in 2009
Ms. Christine Lagarde, the French Minister for the Economy, Industry and Employment and Mr. Michel Mercier, the Minister for Rural and Regional Development have presented the 9th of Mars 2010 in Paris the 2009 Report on job-creating foreign investment in France, accompanied by Mr. David Appia, Chairman and CEO of the Invest in France Agency (IFA).

Against the backdrop of a worldwide downturn in foreign direct investment flows, the IFA and French regional development agencies recorded 639 job-creating foreign investment projects in 2009, an increase on the figure in 2007 (624), and nearly as many as in 2008 (641). The results for 2009 are the fourth-best in the last 15 years.

These investments will enable 29,889 jobs to be created or maintained (versus 31,932 jobs in 2008), which is broadly in line with the annual average since 2000 (30,400).

Geographic origin. 68% of all projects originated from European companies in 2009, versus 65% in 2008. North-American companies were responsible for 19% of job-creating foreign investment decisions in 2009, versus 22% in 2008. Asian companies accounted for 10% of projects in 2009, versus 11% in 2008.

Four countries...