The business climate deteriorated slightly in France in March, the indicator that summarizes it lost one point compared to February although it remained above its historical average, according to data published this Tuesday by INSEE.
The indicator stands at 103 points, compared to 104 the previous month, according to a press release from the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee), which revised the business climate for February upwards by one point, initially valued at 103. After the slight decrease registered between February and March, the indicator remains three points above its long-term average (100).
The work environment
During the third month of the year, the business climate deteriorated in all areas of activity with the exception of wholesale trade, says INSEE. In retail trade, the indicator thus lost three points in one month (from 102 to 99) and stood below its historical average, penalized by fears about customers’ future order intentions.
In industry, construction and services, the business climate only lost one point in a month and remained above the historical averages for each of the three sectors involved. On the contrary, in wholesale trade, a sector whose business climate is only published bimonthly by INSEE, the indicator “improved in March compared to January, driven by sales of opinion regarding deliveries received from abroad and recent sales abroad “, says the institute. .
Finally, the work environment confirmed its good performance and stood at 110 points for the fourth consecutive month. “This stability results in contrasting developments in March”, specifies the INSEE, the optimism of industrialists regarding their future workforce is counteracted by greater caution regarding employment prospects in the service sector.
Source: BFM TV
