Economic data in France showed on Feb. 22 that confidence in French industry and the consumption of manufactured goods by consumers had risen at the start of the year, two positive releases after weak economic growth at the end of 2005, economists said.
An indicator of industrial confidence issued by French statistics office INSEE showed a figure of 105 points in February from 103 points in January.
Data for household consumption of manufactured goods, which represents about a quarter of household spending, showed that purchases in January had increased by 0.9% after a fall of 0.5% in December.
On Feb. 21, INSEE, giving its second unchanged estimate of economic growth for the fourth quarter of 2005, had said that the French economy had expanded by just 0.2%
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2006
