topics
tools
Expatica countries
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2133.12 0.65
DAX 6380.42 0.64
IBEX 30 6479.5 -0.97
CAC 40 3074.36 0.87
FTSE 100 5400.49 0.91
AEX 295.33 0.88
DJIA 12454.83 -0.60
Nasdaq 2837.53 -0.07
FTSE MIB 13190.21 0.27
TSX Composite 11576.47 0.09
ASX 4120.2 0.96
Hang seng 18800.99 0.47
Straits Times 2787.22 0.52
ISEQ 20 503.95 0.60
You are here: Home News French News French economy contracted 0.3 percent in Q2
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size


14/08/2008French economy contracted 0.3 percent in Q2

The contraction in the second quarter in French economy signals the first setback for nearly six years.

14 August 2008

PARIS - The French economy contracted by 0.3 percent in the second quarter of 2008, the statistics institute INSEE said on Thursday, signalling the first setback for nearly six years.

INSEE said the contraction in the second quarter, in contrast to its expectations that the economy would grow, was the first since the fourth quarter of 2002.

Until now, INSEE had forecast that the economy would grow in the second quarter, by 0.2 percent.

The data was a first estimate, subject to revision, and INSEE revised downwards its previous estimate for growth in the first quarter to 0.4 percent from 0.5 percent.

France has the second-biggest economy in the eurozone, after Germany which earlier had announced that its economy had contracted by 0.5 percent in the second quarter.

Last week the president of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet, warned of signs that the eurozone economy was slowing down, and his remarks helped push the euro down sharply against the dollar.

Since then a number of countries in Europe have signalled sharply weaker growth data.

French Economy Minister Lagarde, said the contraction had been expected but the data was not good.

She said the data arose from the sluggish international economic climate "rises in the prices of raw materials, weakness of the dollar." and "inflation".

Provisional data from INSSDE also showed that the number of salaried employees fell by 0.1 percent during the quarter, but was still on course for an annual rise of 1.1 percent over 2007.

[AFP / Expatica]



0 reactions to this article

0 reactions to this article

Discussion Forums

Travel & Transport in France

BUY FAKE PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD

Immigration and Legal Problems

BUY FAKE PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD

Relocating to France

BUY FAKE PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD

Kiwis in France

BUY FAKE PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD

South Africans in France

BUY FAKE PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
Management culture in France

Management culture in France

This handy guide from Expertise in Labour Mobility includes information on business hierarchy, negotiations, and etiquette.

American associations and clubs in Paris

American associations and clubs in Paris

A listing of organizations in the Paris area that cater primarily to Americans living in France. Updated April 2011.

British associations and clubs in Paris

British associations and clubs in Paris

Our handy guide to the British community in Paris, from cricket clubs to Scottish country dancing lessons to where to find a jar of Marmite.

Anglophone services in France

Anglophone services in France

Here's a short introduction to our Banking section for those living in France, from how to open a bank account to Islamic banking and investments.