This new production potential will generate over 8,400 jobs in the next three years, against 8,300 in 2009, which also puts the Paris Region ahead of its French counterparts.
Despite a tough economic outlook, the Paris Region remained attractive, securing its leading position in France as a host to new foreign businesses. Just by itself, the Paris Region in 2010 received over 30% of foreign company settlement projects recorded in France and 26% of the jobs created by those companies.

The Paris Region economy remains efficient: not only does it keep on being attractive, but in addition it causes local businesses to be created. In 2010, in terms of direct foreign investment, the Paris Region showed record results and the highest number of foreign companies to settle in the region in the past ten years (since we began keeping such records), representing 243 foreign companies getting established during the year; this means 5 per week, or 1 per business day! This should generate 8,415 jobs over the next 3 years: of course, the projects are of slightly smaller size; business leaders are careful, and they are postponing their hiring to some extent, says Paris Region Economic Development Agency CEO Denis Tersen.

In all, there are 17,400 businesses and 700,000 wage earners who depend on a foreign group in the Paris Region, representing 18% of the region's total, making the region the French leader in the hosting of foreign companies.

International settlement in the Paris Region broken down by country of origin
In 2010, the United States made a strong comeback with half of the American companies settling in France doing so in the Paris Region. Together with the United Kingdom, the United States remained the foremost investors in the Paris Region in 2010. Unlike the previous two years, Germany and its 20 businesses investing in the Paris Region was overtaken by China (22 businesses). Those 4 countries alone made up over 50% of foreign investment in the region in 2010.
In terms of jobs forecast over the next three years, the United States, Ireland and Japan were the three leading purveyors, representing in all 55% of all jobs created by foreign companies during the year.

International settlement in the Paris Region broken down by business sector
The Paris Region was particularly attractive in 2010 to service and computer services companies, which make up one third of all settlement projects in the year and half the jobs created or maintained.
As it did in 2009, the clothing sector contributed a significant share in terms of jobs with 12% of all employment.
Financial services were also on the increase (13), demonstrating the Paris Region's ongoing standing as a European finance centre.
One should note the importance of energy sector projects, representing close to 8% of projects in 2010.

International settlement in the Paris Region broken down by corporate activity: a growing number of decision-making centres
Companies that choose the Paris Region assign a variety of corporate activities to their local structures. The main trend for the region is to attract decision-making centres, followed by retail, and by services for businesses and for consumers. Those three activities make up close to 83% of all projects and jobs.
Decision-making centres represented 50% of foreign company settlement projects in 2010.
There is another noteworthy phenomenon: since 2008, we have observed a substantial increase in the number of established R&D centres (2 in 2008, 13 in 2009 and 16 in 2010). This trend demonstrates the efficiency of the measures taking in favour of research (competitiveness clusters, research tax credit, etc.).

Standing at the heart of the reception structure for international companies, the Paris Region Economic Development Agency acts as a major intermediary...  Of course, we provide a wide range of highly operational services (the search for premises, support in hiring, legal assistance, etc.), but what international businesses are really concerned about is to be connected to the real economy, explains Denis Tersen.