Special Report:Global Financial Crisis
PARIS, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Consumer spending in France sharply fell in October, marking the biggest one-month decline since June, national statistics office INSEE said on Friday.
The data issued by INSEE showed, as the main driver in the eurozone's second-largest economy, consumer spending dropped 0.4 percent in October after rising in the previous month.
Household consumption and spending on manufactured goods were hard hit in October down to the lowest level as the impact of worsening global financial crisis hit on the real economy.
Consumer purchases on new cars fell 0.9 percent in October, which weaken the monthly figure mostly. Besides, spending on clothes was down 0.6 percent after 2.8 percent rising in September.
French companies have warned the slowdown could harm their business. Car maker PSA Peugeot Citroen had announced on Thursday to cut jobs for its survival in the current economic recession.
The French economy had an unexpected slight 0.1 percent growth in the third quarter. The government expected its GDP to increase 0.2-0.5 percent next year.
