French industrial output fell an unexpected 1.5 per cent in September, but managed to rise 2.9 per cent in the third quarter as a whole, national statistics office Insee said today.
The surprise September drop was partly offset by a sharp, upwards revision to August output, which was put at +2.8 per cent from a previously reported 1.8 per cent rise.
Manufacturing output fell 1.6 per cent in September, with car production dropping 7.9 per cent month-on-month after a 17.9 per cent jump in August and electrical equipment output tumbled 4.9 per cent from a previous 2.3 per cent rise.
However, manufacturing output rose 3.3 per cent during the third quarter as a whole, following on from a 0.6 per cent increase in the second quarter.
"This record quarterly rise represents a dynamic pick up in industrial activity following the historic falls seen at the start of the year," economy minister Christine Lagarde said in a statement.
France releases provisional economic growth data for the third quarter on Friday.
Reuters