Strong growth in the French manufacturing sector continued in January, with production, new orders and employment continuing to record historically high rates of expansion, albeit slightly down on December. The pace of demand growth continues to outstrip that of capacity expansion, as evidenced by the acceleration in the rise in production backlogs observed during the month. A sign of a favourable economic environment, this trend is giving manufacturers cause for optimism, with confidence levels reaching their highest level since data collection began five and a half years ago. Find out more here