Morale in French manufacturing sector declines in January

On January 23, France's National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) announced that confidence levels in the domestic manufacturing sector dropped further in January this year, with the relevant index falling three points from December, following a survey carried out among French business leaders.
 
The business leaders polled considered that activity levels have weakened in the French manufacturing industry, while stocks of finished products are rated above normal levels, and both overall and export orders have shrunk and are rated as very low.
 
In addition, activity in the French manufacturing industry is expected to fall in the coming months. The general production outlook, which represents business leaders' opinion on French industry as a whole, remains at a very low level, well below its long-term average.