According to the business leaders questioned to the quarterly survey of January 2010, the balance of opinion regarding global demand increased strongly, coming back so to its long-term average. Looking at business leader’s expectations, demand outlook for Q1 2010 remain however inferior to its long-term average.
Export demand stayed near to its average trend, after a strong increase in Q3. It would deteriorate in the next months nevertheless.
Production capacity was more intensely used in Q4 2009: the proportion of businesses encountering production bottlenecks rose eight points.
According to the business leaders, the fall of industrial manpower attenuated in Q4 2009. Looking at business leader’s expectations, the decline in employment is expected to be less marked again over the next three months.
Recent changes in demand

Workforce in manufacturing industry

Competitive position

| Balance of opinion, s.a, in % | |||||
| * : Long period average. | |||||
| Source : Quarterly business survey - INSEE | |||||
| Manufacturing industry | Moy.* | Apr. 09 | Jul. 09 | Oct. 09 | Jan. 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total demand | |||||
| Recent changes | 0 | –58 | –36 | –14 | –2 |
| Expected change | 0 | –37 | –18 | –9 | –9 |
| Export demand | |||||
| Recent changes | 2 | –61 | –39 | 3 | 1 |
| Expected change | 4 | –33 | –7 | 1 | –14 |
| Production factors | |||||
| Share of firms producing at full capacity (in%) | 21 | 11 | 7 | 14 | 22 |
| Opinion on production capacity | 16 | 40 | 35 | 35 | 31 |
| Productive capacity utilization rate (in %) | 84 | 70 | 71 | 74 | 73 |
| Difficulties of supply and demand | |||||
| Difficulties of supply and demand | 7 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 10 |
| Difficulties of supply | 19 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| Difficulties of demand | 46 | 62 | 62 | 63 | 64 |
n° 29 - January 27, 2010
Quarterly business survey (goods-producing industries) - january 2010
Next issue July 23, 2013 08:45 - July 2013
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