French manufacturing output rose sharply in May after the lockdown measures against the corona virus eased and many factories reopened. According to the French statistics agency, industrial production increased by nearly 20 percent that month compared to April. That was more than what economists in general expected. The German and Spanish industry also showed a recovery in May, as was already evident.
French industrial production fell sharply in April and March. The decline was particularly marked in April, with a contraction of 20 percent on a monthly basis. In that month, the strict quarantine measures that largely halted French industry, such as car factories, peaked.
Looking at sector level, construction activities in France were particularly resilient. Production there grew by nearly 120 percent from a month earlier. Industrial production, excluding construction and energy, rose by 22 percent. Energy production increased by 9.2 percent.