#EMPLOYMENT & SOCIETY
"Construction is where businesses go bust." Yet at end-July 2026, French construction firms were failing less often than their pre-Covid average, while the economy as a whole was 19% above it.
Published on September 29, 2026 · to be rechecked on November 10, 2026
According to the Banque de France, 70,605 businesses failed in France over the 12 months to end-July 2026, 19.0% more than the 2010-2019 average (59,342). Construction is the exception: 14,351 failures, 2.3% below its own average and 2.4% fewer than a year earlier. The rise is concentrated elsewhere: +70.1% above average in transport, +42.0% in consulting and business services, +31.8% in hotels and restaurants.
Is construction driving the rise in business failures?
No: it's one of the few sectors back below its pre-Covid level.
In other words: the sector people instinctively associate with bankruptcies is currently the one faring best compared with its own past.
Four caveats that belong with the number
- In absolute terms, construction is still the most affected sector: roughly one failure in five (14,351 out of 70,605).
- Failures are counted per legal unit: the figure says nothing about the size of the businesses involved or the jobs lost.
- The number of businesses is growing too: more than 1.2 million were created over the 12 months to end-July 2026 (+10.8%), according to INSEE. More businesses mechanically means more potential failures.
- Failures lag activity: INSEE describes a sharp downturn in public works in 2026, which these figures may not yet reflect.
Why it still matters: the rise in business failures is real, but it comes from transport, services and restaurants far more than from construction.
For you
- Did you think construction was the sector hit hardest by rising bankruptcies?
- Why do you think business services are so exposed?
Source: Banque de France, business failures to end-July 2026, Stat Info published 4 September 2026.
View the source →