After moving close to stabilisation during August, there were fresh signs of weakness across the eurozone’s second-largest economy in September as French private sector business activity fell at the quickest rate in five months. Output in both the manufacturing and service economies dropped compared to the prior month, and to sharper degrees. Subdued customer demand was noted as a drag on activity levels in both sectors, with survey data signalling a sixteenth successive reduction in total new orders. Growth expectations slipped slightly but remained above July’s most recent low, while net employment increased ... (full story)