France’s manufacturing business climate index rose to 103 in August 2026 from 101 in July, remaining above its long-term average. This was the strongest reading since January. The improvement was driven in particular by a sharp rebound in personal production prospects, which climbed to 9 from -1 in July, moving above their historical average, even as past production softened slightly to 5 from 7 but stayed above average. The general production outlook was unchanged at -11, still below its long-term average.
Order books were stable at -12, while foreign order books improved to -8 from -12; both indicators nevertheless remained above their long-term averages. Finished goods inventories declined to 6 from 11, moving further below their average. Expected selling prices inched up to 11 from 9, and perceived economic uncertainty fell for the fourth consecutive month, to 28 from 30, slipping below its long-term average.
Employment signals were mixed: the indicator for past staffing edged down to -1 from 0, whereas expected staffing recovered to 1 from -3. Both employment measures, however, remained above their historical averages.
