29 May 2019

2019- n° 146

In March 2019, services output increased again (+0.9%) Index of services production - March 2019

In March 2019, output in services increased again (+0.9% after +1.5% in February).

Over the first quarter of 2019, services output went up slightly compared to the last quarter of 2018 (+0.3% after a stability).

It increased sharply in accommodation and food services activities (+2.3%), in real estate activities (+2.0%) and in household services (+2.0%). Output was near stable in information and communication (+0.1%) but decreased in transportation and storage (−0.3%). Services output went down again in business support activities (−0.5%): it declined strongly in specialised, scientific and technical activities (−1.2%) but it went up in administrative and business service activities (+0.5%).

In services, output of first quarter of 2019 rose sharply over a year (+4.0%).

It went up strongly in business support (+5.0%), be it in specialised, scientific and technical activities (+5.1%) or in administrative and business service activities (+4.7%). It also grew sharply in information and communication (+5.0%), in accommodation and food service activities (+5.3%) and in household services (+3.4%). The output was also marked in transportation and storage (+1.3%) and in real estate activities (+1.4%).

In March 2019, output in business support activities went up again (+1.3% after +2.2%).

Output grew again in specialised, scientific and technical activities (+1.4% after +3.6% in February), especially in scientific research and development (+3.4% after +17.1%), in activities of head offices and management consultancy (+1.5% after +0.2%) and in other professional, scientific and technical activities (+1.6% after +0.5%). Output rebounded in advertising and market research (+4.8% after −2.4%). It diminished very slightly in architecture and engineering activities (−0.2% after +0.2%).

Output accelerated in administrative and business support activities (+1.2% after +0.3%), due to all subsections and especially in employment activities (+2.6% after a stability). Output rose again in services to building and landscape activities (+1.2% après +0.3%) and in rental and leasing activities (+0.4% after +1.2%). It bounced back in security and investigation (+0.8% after −0.5%) and in other administrative and business support activities (+0.2% after −0.6%).

In March 2019, output in household services grew again, faster than in February (+3.9% after +2.1%). It gathered pace in arts, entertainment and recreation (+6.5% après +2.8%) but turned down in other personal services production (−1.0% after +0.8%).

Output in information and communication turned up in March 2019 (+0.6% after −0.3%), notably due to a rebound in computer programming (+1.6% after −1.2%) and in telecommunications (+2.0% after −0.9%) and despite a sharp backlash in edition (−6.1% after +1.9%). Output increased again in information services (+1.2% after +2.6%).

In March 2019, output in accommodation and food services grew again (+1.1% after +1.0%). It gathered pace in accommodation (+5.8% après +0.6%) but dwindled in food and beverage service activities (−0.2% after +1.1%).

Output in transportation and storage turned down in March 2019 (−0.4% after +1.1%). It dwindled sharply in water transport (−11.9% after +5.7%) and in postal and courier activities (−3.4% after +1.1%) and more slightly in warehousing and support for transportation (−0.5% after +2.4%). By contrast, it increased in land transport (+0.5% after −0.4%) and in air transport (+2.3% after +2.5%).

The month-on-month variation rate of the index of services production in February 2019 has been revised downwards by 0.1 points, mainly due to raw series updating. Initially published at +1.6%, it has been stated at +1.5%.