France economic sentiment and confidence
France economic sentiment and confidence indicators from the European Commission monthly surveys.
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | 10-2025 | 09-2025 | 08-2025 | 07-2025 | 06-2025 | 05-2025 | 04-2025 | 03-2025 | 02-2025 | 01-2025 | 12-2024 | 11-2024 | 10-2024 | 09-2024 | 08-2024 | 07-2024 | 06-2024 | 05-2024 | 04-2024 | 03-2024 | 02-2024 | 01-2024 | 12-2023 | 11-2023 | 10-2023 | 09-2023 | 08-2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economic sentiment indicator (ESI) | 98.1 | 95.8 | 93.6 | 94.2 | 92.8 | 95.6 | 99 | 101 | 94.5 | 95.4 | 94.9 | 93.1 | 92.6 | 92.6 | 90.3 | 93.5 | 97.2 | 96.5 | 98.5 | 95.8 | 92.9 | 96.5 | 93.8 | 98.1 | 99.1 | 95.4 | 98.3 | 99.2 | 95.9 | 101.3 | 97.7 | 97.9 | 95.7 | 96.1 | 94.2 | 96.7 | 93.7 | |
| Industrial confidence indicator | -3.6 | -6.1 | -7.9 | -6.6 | -8.2 | -7.9 | -5.7 | -1.3 | -8.7 | -8.5 | -6.5 | -10.3 | -10.3 | -11.5 | -12.4 | -10.3 | -6.1 | -8.6 | -7.9 | -11.4 | -11.6 | -9.4 | -14.9 | -7.4 | -4.5 | -9.2 | -7.9 | -8.5 | -7.9 | -3.4 | -5.5 | -8.7 | -9.4 | -9.2 | -9.3 | -7.7 | -11.6 | |
| Services confidence indicator | -2.9 | -2.8 | -2.3 | -2.1 | -2.4 | -1.5 | -0.8 | -0.6 | -1.6 | -2.4 | -4.1 | -2 | -6.6 | -3.9 | -6.9 | -6 | -2.6 | -4.8 | -1.6 | -2.7 | -2.5 | -2.7 | -0.1 | -3.3 | -3.3 | -4.5 | 0.2 | 3.3 | -2.6 | 1.1 | -3.4 | -0.1 | -1.8 | -0.9 | -1.3 | -1.4 | -1.6 | |
| Consumer confidence indicator | -17.8 | -16.9 | -19.2 | -21.1 | -21.8 | -17.1 | -14.2 | -15.7 | -16.3 | -15.8 | -15.5 | -19.3 | -18.5 | -16.9 | -17.4 | -17.4 | -16.3 | -14.8 | -13.2 | -14.1 | -17.7 | -15.3 | -12.8 | -11.6 | -13 | -15.4 | -14.4 | -13.5 | -15.3 | -13.4 | -14.7 | -11.7 | -13.5 | -13.5 | -16.7 | -15.8 | -14.8 | |
| Retail trade confidence indicator | -9.3 | -14.2 | -17 | -16.1 | -14.7 | -15 | -11.6 | -12 | -12.8 | -12.3 | -15.9 | -16.7 | -10.2 | -11.3 | -14.6 | -13.2 | -14.4 | -14.4 | -13.5 | -9.9 | -12.3 | -9.7 | -11.3 | -12.1 | -11.2 | -13 | -12.8 | -10.5 | -10.6 | -11 | -12.6 | -8.3 | -11.9 | -15.6 | -13.8 | -7.6 | -3.6 | |
| Construction confidence indicator | -18.2 | -19.3 | -18.4 | -17.3 | -18.1 | -16.3 | -16.7 | -16.4 | -15.2 | -16.6 | -15.3 | -13.9 | -13.9 | -14.4 | -12.1 | -12.2 | -13.8 | -14.7 | -13.8 | -12.5 | -13.2 | -11.2 | -11.6 | -11.4 | -11.4 | -10.9 | -9.2 | -9.8 | -9.1 | -7.4 | -5.5 | -5.3 | -7.9 | -7.1 | -5.9 | -3.6 | -4.2 | |
| Employment expectations and labour hoarding4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Employment expectations indicator (EEI) | 96.6 | 93.5 | 94 | 94.5 | 94.5 | 97.9 | 95.6 | 96.7 | 94.6 | 96.9 | 93.7 | 92.7 | 93.9 | 93.7 | 93.5 | 91.4 | 93.5 | 92.7 | 93.5 | 94.4 | 93.9 | 95.9 | 95.6 | 97.5 | 95.5 | 92 | 98.1 | 98.9 | 101.7 | 97.8 | 101 | 99.7 | 100.4 | 99.1 | 103 | 102.8 | 99 | |
| Employment expectations by sector4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Employment expectations, industry | 1.8 | 0.1 | 2 | 1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | -0.4 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.1 | -1.7 | -2.1 | -0.7 | -1.1 | -1.1 | -0.8 | -1.7 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 4.1 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 4.3 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 8.6 | 7.1 | 8.3 | 10.7 | 10.8 | |
| Employment expectations, construction | -3.2 | -3.3 | -4.3 | -3.1 | -3.4 | -1.6 | -1.5 | -0.8 | -1.1 | -2.4 | -2.2 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 0.4 | -0.2 | -0.4 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 5 | 5.1 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 7.1 | 8.9 | 7 | |
| Employment expectations, retail trade | -10.8 | -8.5 | -13 | -6.1 | -5.4 | -7.1 | -10 | -10.2 | -8.8 | -8.7 | -13.1 | -11.3 | -11.7 | -6.7 | -7.2 | -6.5 | -13.1 | -11.1 | -7.5 | -10.4 | -12.8 | -10 | -7.1 | -6.2 | -6.1 | -9.5 | -8.3 | -9.2 | -4.9 | -7.3 | -6.9 | -7.7 | -6 | -11.1 | -9.3 | -8.3 | -7.5 | |
| Employment expectations, services | -1.7 | -6.8 | -4.4 | -6.8 | -7.2 | -1.5 | -3.1 | -1.9 | -5.6 | -1.9 | -4.6 | -7.3 | -4.7 | -7.4 | -7.9 | -11.2 | -4.8 | -6.8 | -7.3 | -5.2 | -4.9 | -4.3 | -5.3 | -3.2 | -6.2 | -10.2 | -1.5 | 0 | 1.3 | -3.3 | 0.9 | -0.5 | -0.8 | 0 | 4.5 | 2.8 | -3 | |
| Labour hoarding indicator (LHI) | 13.98 | 14.51 | 15.03 | 15.3 | 14.02 | 13.67 | 13.58 | 13.07 | 13.47 | 14.85 | 15.72 | 14.88 | 14.22 | 14.15 | 14.39 | 15.49 | 14.37 | 15.46 | 16.13 | 15.65 | 15.06 | 13.61 | 14.21 | 16.08 | 15.15 | 15.83 | 13.17 | 12.74 | 13.94 | 15.07 | 15.16 | 14.85 | 15.42 | 16.15 | 14.56 | 13.99 | 14.89 | |
| Labour hoarding by sector4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Labour hoarding, industry | 12.32 | 12.4 | 12.67 | 11.34 | 11.2 | 9.02 | 9.8 | 9.08 | 10.59 | 11.03 | 10.34 | 12.06 | 11.15 | 12.08 | 9.91 | 11.01 | 11.05 | 15.42 | 11.7 | 14.85 | 15.26 | 12.69 | 16.71 | 13.82 | 14.26 | 14.63 | 13.12 | 17.3 | 10.11 | 18.59 | 17.68 | 15.41 | 14.16 | 17.51 | 15.38 | 13.5 | 15.89 | |
| Labour hoarding, construction | 27.46 | 27.97 | 27.96 | 27.22 | 28.95 | 27.63 | 27.84 | 29.76 | 25.5 | 25.36 | 24.59 | 25.25 | 25.09 | 25.85 | 25.24 | 25.64 | 25.53 | 25.43 | 23.4 | 25.08 | 25.07 | 25.32 | 24.76 | 24.57 | 23.98 | 23.02 | 20.89 | 22.26 | 23.06 | 21.57 | 21.04 | 19.95 | 21.06 | 20.03 | 21.37 | 20.93 | 19.95 | |
| Labour hoarding, retail trade | 18.08 | 19.99 | 21.89 | 25.11 | 20.73 | 19.72 | 17.57 | 16.63 | 17.06 | 19.58 | 19.5 | 22.11 | 19.74 | 19.28 | 18.37 | 19.78 | 18.89 | 19.77 | 19.22 | 17.22 | 17.72 | 17.21 | 18.46 | 19.76 | 21.81 | 24.34 | 18.18 | 16.08 | 20.73 | 18.41 | 22.63 | 24.3 | 27.44 | 24.7 | 19.71 | 18.91 | 19.68 | |
| Labour hoarding, services | 10.58 | 10.77 | 10.98 | 10.91 | 9.79 | 10.45 | 10.76 | 10.01 | 10.91 | 12.47 | 14.48 | 11.33 | 11.26 | 10.85 | 12.44 | 13.55 | 11.79 | 12.11 | 15.14 | 13.61 | 12.21 | 10.47 | 9.94 | 13.94 | 11.45 | 11.89 | 10 | 8.32 | 11.1 | 11.54 | 10.61 | 10.38 | 10.53 | 11.96 | 11.22 | 11.13 | 11.94 |
Latest reading
Economic sentiment indicator (ESI) stood at 98.1 in Aug 2026. That is +2.4% from Jul 2026 and +5.9% from a year earlier. The series on this page is monthly and runs from Jan 1985 to Aug 2026. Source: Eurostat – economic sentiment and confidence indicators by sector, monthly (ei_bssi_m_r2, European Commission business and consumer surveys).
- Latest
- 98.1
- Aug 2026
- vs previous period
- +2.4%
- Jul 2026
- vs a year earlier
- +5.9%
About this data
France economic sentiment and confidence indicators from the European Commission monthly surveys. This monthly dataset from Eurostat includes the economic sentiment indicator (ESI) and the employment expectations indicator (EEI) since 1980. It covers confidence indicators for industry, services, retail trade, construction, and consumers. The series also track labour hoarding indicators across these sectors, expressed as balances of opinion.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the France Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI)?
- The Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) is a composite indicator compiled by the European Commission. It tracks overall economic activity in France by combining monthly confidence indicators from industry, services, consumers, retail trade, and construction.
- What do the confidence indicators in this dataset measure?
- They measure the perceptions and expectations of managers and consumers in France. The results are presented as balances of opinion, which represent the difference between positive and negative answers, or as indices.
- What is the Employment Expectations Indicator (EEI) for France?
- The Employment Expectations Indicator (EEI) is a monthly index that measures employers' expectations regarding future changes in their workforce. It is available for France as a whole and broken down by industry, services, retail trade, and construction.
- How far back does the French economic sentiment data go?
- The monthly series for France's economic sentiment, sector confidence, and employment expectations are available starting from 1980. The data is updated monthly following the European Commission's release schedule.
