Factory closures threaten thousands of jobs in France, industry minister warns

RFI

9 November 2024 at 9:48 am·1-min read

A view of the logo of tyre maker Michelin during a strike by its employees, in front of its plant in Cholet, France, November 8, 2024.

Factory closures in France are expected to affect "thousands of jobs" in the coming weeks and months, Industry Minister Marc Ferracci warned on Saturday, days after two of the country's largest employers announced layoffs amid a deepening recession in France's manufacturing industry.

“There are a number of sectors in a worrying situation,” Ferracci told France Inter radio on Saturday, citing the chemical, automotive and metallurgy industries.

These difficulties are due in particular to “very strong international competition ... which is not always very fair because it is highly subsidised in China and the United States”.

Ferracci's comments came just days after Michelin and Auchan – two of France's largest employers – announced layoffs, sparking worries that unemployment could once again go up after years of improvement.

The closures of industrial sites will affect thousands of jobs, the minister acknowledged, underlining that the government was “fighting” to try to find private buyers and, if necessary, “provide the best possible support for employees and the revitalisation of sites”.

On Tuesday, French tyre company Michelin, founded 135 years ago, announced the closure of its Cholet and Vannes sites in western France by early 2026, with the loss of 1,254 jobs. It cited high costs and cheap Asian competition.

(with newswires)

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