31 May 2017

2017- n° 146

In Q1 2017, producer prices for services sold to French businesses were stable Services producer price indices - first quarter 2017

In the first quarter of 2017, producer prices of services sold to French businesses were stable after a slight rebound in the previous quarter (+0.3%). Year over year, they rose at a slightly faster pace (+0.6% after +0.4%).

Prices for real estate activities recovered (+0.9% after −0,7%), mainly thanks to renting and operating services of real estate. Prices for transport and storage services also increased (+0.4% after −0.1%) and sped up year over year (+1.3% after +0.7%). In particular, prices for freight transport by road grew at a similar pace as in the previous month (+0.4% after +0.5%).

Prices for administrative and support services remained vitually stable (+0.1% as in the two previous quarters). Year over year, they grew by 0.5% (after +0.6%).

Prices for information-communication services fell back (−0.6% after +0.9%). Year over year, they remained on a slight increase trend (+0.2%) The decrease over the quarter was mainly due to the seasonal downturn in prices for television programming and broadcasting activities (−7.0% after +13.6%). Prices for scientific and technical services went down slightly (−0.2%), mainly due to the decline in prices for media representation services at this time of year. Finally, prices for accomodation-food services aimed to professionnals also slipped down seasonally (−1.0% after +0.6%).

In the first quarter of 2017, producer prices of services sold to households in France recovered somewhat (+0.3% after −1.3%) notably because of the slight seasonal rebound in prices for accomodation-food services (+0.4% after −2.2%) and that for real estate activities (+0.3% after −1.6%).

Producer prices of services sold on foreign markets were stable in the first quarter of 2017, as in the previous quarter. The decline in prices of information-communication services (−0.4% after +0.4%) offset the rise in prices of administrative and support services (+0.3% after +0.8%). Prices of other services were stable or virtually.

In the first quarter of 2017, on all markets, producer prices of services were virtually stable (+0.1%). Year over year, they gathered pace: +0.7% after 0.3% at the end of 2016.