Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Cinch.
Franchises are a fundamental part of the American business landscape, spanning a diverse range of industries and sectors.
From popular fast-food chains like McDonald’s and Subway to hotel brands like Marriott and Hilton, franchises are deeply woven into daily life. Even indoor pickleball courts, escape rooms, cryotherapy centers, and pet grooming services often operate under franchise models.
In recent years, franchise businesses have also become increasingly important drivers of job growth and economic output. According to the International Franchise Association (IFA), franchise business growth is expected to outpace the broader U.S. economy in the coming year.
Franchise economic output is projected to exceed $936 billion this year, with employment in the sector surpassing 9 million workers.
To assess the impact of franchise businesses on job growth at the state level, researchers at Cinch analyzed employment data from the IFA and the Projections Managing Partnership. For more details, see the methodology at the end.
Following are the states where franchises are boosting the availability of jobs.
15. Arizona
- Franchise job growth contribution: 19.1%
- Franchise employment share: 6.1%
- Franchise employment growth: +19,617
- Total employment growth: +102,660
- Franchise employment growth rate: +10.0%
- Total employment growth rate: +3.0%
- Franchise employment (2025): 216,138
- Franchise employment (2023): 196,521
- Total employment (2025): 3,514,910
- Total employment (2023): 3,412,250
14. Ohio
- Franchise job growth contribution: 21.7%
- Franchise employment share: 5.5%
- Franchise employment growth: +7,469
- Total employment growth: +34,440
- Franchise employment growth rate: +2.4%
- Total employment growth rate: +0.6%
- Franchise employment (2025): 324,207
- Franchise employment (2023): 316,738
- Total employment (2025): 5,846,750
- Total employment (2023): 5,812,310
13. Massachusetts
- Franchise job growth contribution: 22.7%
- Franchise employment share: 3.7%
- Franchise employment growth: +5,699
- Total employment growth: +25,110
- Franchise employment growth rate: +4.1%
- Total employment growth rate: +0.6%
- Franchise employment (2025): 144,553
- Franchise employment (2023): 138,854
- Total employment (2025): 3,891,400
- Total employment (2023): 3,866,290
12. Oklahoma
- Franchise job growth contribution: 25.5%
- Franchise employment share: 6.1%
- Franchise employment growth: +5,056
- Total employment growth: +19,860
- Franchise employment growth rate: +4.5%
- Total employment growth rate: +1.1%
- Franchise employment (2025): 116,929
- Franchise employment (2023): 111,873
- Total employment (2025): 1,902,210
- Total employment (2023): 1,882,350
11. Pennsylvania
- Franchise job growth contribution: 27.5%
- Franchise employment share: 4.9%
- Franchise employment growth: +19,630
- Total employment growth: +71,270
- Franchise employment growth rate: +6.5%
- Total employment growth rate: +1.1%
- Franchise employment (2025): 320,635
- Franchise employment (2023): 301,005
- Total employment (2025): 6,497,990
- Total employment (2023): 6,426,720
10. Indiana
- Franchise job growth contribution: 28.4%
- Franchise employment share: 5.7%
- Franchise employment growth: +11,046
- Total employment growth: +38,920
- Franchise employment growth rate: +5.9%
- Total employment growth rate: +1.1%
- Franchise employment (2025): 198,127
- Franchise employment (2023): 187,081
- Total employment (2025): 3,474,320
- Total employment (2023): 3,435,400
9. Virginia
- Franchise job growth contribution: 28.7%
- Franchise employment share: 6.3%
- Franchise employment growth: +20,027
- Total employment growth: +69,810
- Franchise employment growth rate: +8.0%
- Total employment growth rate: +1.7%
- Franchise employment (2025): 270,173
- Franchise employment (2023): 250,146
- Total employment (2025): 4,297,050
- Total employment (2023): 4,227,240
8. Kentucky
- Franchise job growth contribution: 29.5%
- Franchise employment share: 6.3%
- Franchise employment growth: +12,817
- Total employment growth: +43,480
- Franchise employment growth rate: +10.5%
- Total employment growth rate: +2.1%
- Franchise employment (2025): 135,086
- Franchise employment (2023): 122,269
- Total employment (2025): 2,144,460
- Total employment (2023): 2,100,980
7. Mississippi
- Franchise job growth contribution: 30.6%
- Franchise employment share: 6.1%
- Franchise employment growth: +2,561
- Total employment growth: +8,380
- Franchise employment growth rate: +3.4%
- Total employment growth rate: +0.7%
- Franchise employment (2025): 77,317
- Franchise employment (2023): 74,756
- Total employment (2025): 1,258,230
- Total employment (2023): 1,249,850
6. West Virginia
- Franchise job growth contribution: 32.7%
- Franchise employment share: 5.6%
- Franchise employment growth: +2,168
- Total employment growth: +6,630
- Franchise employment growth rate: +5.6%
- Total employment growth rate: +0.9%
- Franchise employment (2025): 40,798
- Franchise employment (2023): 38,630
- Total employment (2025): 727,250
- Total employment (2023): 720,620
5. Michigan
- Franchise job growth contribution: 34.6%
- Franchise employment share: 5.7%
- Franchise employment growth: +9,136
- Total employment growth: +26,410
- Franchise employment growth rate: +3.6%
- Total employment growth rate: +0.6%
- Franchise employment (2025): 261,167
- Franchise employment (2023): 252,031
- Total employment (2025): 4,621,940
- Total employment (2023): 4,595,530
4. Louisiana
- Franchise job growth contribution: 53.9%
- Franchise employment share: 6.7%
- Franchise employment growth: +13,234
- Total employment growth: +24,570
- Franchise employment growth rate: +10.9%
- Total employment growth rate: +1.2%
- Franchise employment (2025): 135,086
- Franchise employment (2023): 121,852
- Total employment (2025): 2,002,020
- Total employment (2023): 1,977,450
3. Idaho
- Franchise job growth contribution: 57.2%
- Franchise employment share: 6.8%
- Franchise employment growth: +2,899
- Total employment growth: +5,070
- Franchise employment growth rate: +6.2%
- Total employment growth rate: +0.7%
- Franchise employment (2025): 49,559
- Franchise employment (2023): 46,660
- Total employment (2025): 729,430
- Total employment (2023): 724,360
2. Maine
- Franchise job growth contribution: 73.4%
- Franchise employment share: 4.7%
- Franchise employment growth: +6,257
- Total employment growth: +8,530
- Franchise employment growth rate: +22.6%
- Total employment growth rate: +1.2%
- Franchise employment (2025): 33,969
- Franchise employment (2023): 27,712
- Total employment (2025): 725,640
- Total employment (2023): 717,110
1. South Carolina
- Franchise job growth contribution: 87.5%
- Franchise employment share: 8.8%
- Franchise employment growth: +47,018
- Total employment growth: +53,750
- Franchise employment growth rate: +27.9%
- Total employment growth rate: +2.3%
- Franchise employment (2025): 215,514
- Franchise employment (2023): 168,496
- Total employment (2025): 2,438,850
- Total employment (2023): 2,385,100
Methodology
To assess the impact of franchise businesses on job growth at the state level, researchers at Cinch analyzed employment trends between 2023 and 2025. The study focused on the extent to which franchise employment growth contributes to overall job growth in each state. The key metrics used in this analysis include:
- Franchise job growth contribution: The percentage of total employment growth in a state that is attributed to franchises.
- Franchise employment share: The proportion of total workers in each state employed by franchise businesses.
- Franchise employment growth: The absolute and percentage change in the number of franchise employees from 2023 to 2025.
- Total employment growth: The absolute and percentage change in overall state employment (non-farm wage and salary workers) during the same period.
The total employment figures for 2023 and projected employment numbers for 2025 were sourced from the Projections Managing Partnership’s Short-Term Occupational Projections (2023–2025), a widely used dataset for labor market forecasts.
Franchise employment statistics for 2023 and projections for 2025 were derived from the 2025 Franchising Economic Outlook Report, a joint project by the International Franchise Association (IFA) and FRANdata, which examines trends in franchising across the U.S.
Due to a lack of data availability from the Projections Managing Partnership dataset, Hawaii was not included in the study.
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