France's manufacturing sector remained under intense pressure at the beginning of the year as indices for output, new orders and employment remained in deep contraction territory. Retrenchment was also seen via inventory depletion and purchasing activity reductions as firms adjusted to weak demand conditions. Notably, suppliers' delivery times lengthened to the greatest extent in almost a year following disruption in the Red Sea, but costs continued to fall. Businesses' expectations for the next 12 months remained pessimistic, but confidence did edge up to a six-month high. The seasonally adjusted HCOB France ... (full story)