France: Industrial activity contracts at sharpest rate since February in September
Industrial output slid 1.3% in month-on-month seasonally-adjusted terms in September, which contrasted August’s 1.0% increase. The result marked the worst reading since February. The reading reflected a broad-based downturn across the major sectors, with manufacturing, mining and quarrying and energy all contracting in September.
On an annual basis, industrial production grew 0.8% in September, which was notably below August’s 3.8% expansion and marked the worst result since February. Meanwhile, the trend improved sizably, with the annual average growth of industrial production coming in at plus 4.8% in September, up from August’s 4.1%.