The performance of French manufacturing industry improved slightly in December, firms in the domestic industry say, as fewer companies registered a fall in business activity compared to November.

More companies than in November are more optimistic about their business activity and production levels over the next three months. So says French national statistics association l’Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques (INSEE) in a report monitored by Kallanish.

In December the level of orders improved and the same number of companies as in the previous month registered an increase in their finished products stock levels.

The forecasts of production in the automotive sector for the coming months are pessimistic and broadly lower compared to pre-crisis production levels. The level of national and foreign orders in December however, increased compared to November. Stocks at year-end are considered to be “… light”, INSEE says.

The performance of other manufacturing sectors is seen stable in December with a forecast of improving production levels, INSEE concludes.