France professional & scientific past activity trend
France professional & scientific past activity trend stood at 2.9 Balance of opinion (%) in Sep 2026, according to INSEE – Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (BDM). It is one of the indicators in the INSEE business surveys table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jan 1988 to Sep 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the INSEE business surveys table
| Indicator | 09-2026 | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Services | |||||||||||
| Monthly economic survey in services - Past trend of activity - Professional, scientific and technical activities | 2.9 | -3.7 | -6.1 | -2.9 | -1.7 | -4.2 | -7 | -3.6 | -0.8 | -11.6 | |
| Monthly economic survey in services - Past trend of activity - Professional, scientific, technical, administrative services and support activities | -0.6 | -4.8 | -7 | -4.4 | -1.9 | -6.4 | -4.3 | -2.2 | -0.8 | -6 |
Understanding france professional & scientific past activity trend
Consultancies, legal practices, engineering firms, scientific research laboratories, and technical testing providers report on the past trajectory of their business volumes over the preceding months. Respondents indicate whether their billings, project workloads, or client mandates increased, stayed flat, or decreased during the reference period. This series focuses on specialized knowledge-based services, separating professional consulting from administrative support and facility management. The resulting balance of opinion reflects the economic health of high-end business services.
Evaluating this indicator involves analyzing how corporate clients allocate budgets for external professional expertise and technical project development. Seasonal variations can occur due to summer holiday closures and calendar quarter-ends, which are accounted for in seasonal adjustment procedures. Analysts should review multi-month trajectories rather than individual monthly figures to filter out project-specific volatility. Comparing these professional service trends with corporate investment data helps verify whether businesses are expanding their utilization of external consultants and technical specialists.
Frequently asked questions
- Which professions are included in this scientific and technical services measure?
- Legal, accounting, engineering, architectural, advertising, and scientific research firms participate.
- How does this professional category differ from administrative support services?
- It focuses on specialized knowledge-based consulting and technical work rather than routine office support or facility upkeep.
- What signals does this professional activity index provide to macroeconomic analysts?
- It serves as a gauge of corporate spending on strategic planning, legal advice, and technical development.