France: Economic sentiment worsens in March
Latest reading: Economic sentiment declined to 93.8 in March, following February’s 97.5. The latest reading was below the long-term average of 100, pointing to a muted near-term outlook for the economy.
In March, sentiment darkened in the industrial sector (-8.6 vs -5.7 in February), the services sector (-4.9 vs -4.3 in February), the retail sector (-14.5 vs -11.6 in February) and among consumers (-17.0 vs -14.2 in February). On the flipside, sentiment turned more upbeat in the construction sector (-16.2 vs -16.6 in February).