The Bank of France yesterday maintained its forecast for French quarterly gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 0.5 per cent in the third quarter, unchanged from the second quarter.

The prediction was part of the central bank’s August business climate survey.

The survey showed that the business sentiment indicator for the manufacturing industry dipped to 104 points in August from 105 points in July, although sentiment in the services industry rose to 100 points last month from 99 points in July.

The business sentiment indicator for the construction industry also rose to 103 points in August from 102 in July.

In June, national statistics agency INSEE forecast economic growth in France this year of 1.6 per cent, the strongest since 2011, as foreign trade proves less of a drag and the unemployment rate falls.

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