Foreign companies are responsible for a large share of Hessen's economic power

In Hessen, nearly 3,000 foreign companies generated about 161.7 billion euros in sales, an increase of 1.7 percent compared to 2012. During the same time period, the number of employed individuals increased by 3.1 percent, amounting to approximately 453,000 employed persons. In a little over half of the foreign companies (50.7 percent), the parent company headquarters were located within the European Union in 2013. These companies generated sales of 57.8 billion euros, which corresponded to a share of 35.8 percent of the total sales achieved by foreign companies.

Most companies were classified under the sector of "trade as well as maintenance and repair of vehicles". They employed almost 72,700 individuals and achieved sales of 66.7 billion euros (41.2 percent of the companies' sales). In the manufacturing sector, compared to trade, almost 600 companies less were controlled from abroad. Nonetheless, they achieved sales that were almost as high (approximately 63.7 billion euros). Over one third (149 000) of all employed people hold a job in this economic sector.

More International Than Any Other German State