France's manufacturing sector remained mired in a deep downturn, latest HCOB PMI® data, compiled by S&P Global showed, as output and new orders both declined sharply and for a fourteenth month in succession. Evidence of weakness across the industry was broad across July's survey data, with export demand and purchasing activity also recording considerable and accelerated reductions since June. Additionally, factory employment levels fell at the fastest pace in nearly three years, while destocking trends persisted. Elsewhere, the latest survey results showed a rapid decrease in firms' input costs, which led output ... (full story)