France: Composite PMI eases in September
The S&P Global Flash Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 43.5 in September from August’s 46.0. September’s result marked the weakest reading since November 2020. As a result, the index remained entrenched below the 50.0 no-change threshold, signaling a sustained deterioration in private sector operating conditions from the previous month.
The decline in the composite index was broad-based: The manufacturing PMI fell to 41.8 in September from August’s 45.9, while the services PMI fell to 43.9 from 46.0 in August.
In September, output and new orders fell at sharper rates in both sectors on the back of deteriorating demand conditions. More positively, employment rose, as hiring in services companies more than offset job losses in the manufacturing sector.
On the price front, input price inflation accelerated, while output charge inflation continued to soften. Lastly, business confidence weakened markedly.