The French economy is likely to grow in the second half of this year, Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said in an interview with RTL radio, after official data showed that the nation entered a recession in the first quarter.
Moscovici said he is confident that the unemployment will drop by the end of 2013.
Data from the statistical office Insee showed on Wednesday that the French economy slipped into a recession at the start of the year amid flagging investment and exports. Gross domestic product fell 0.2 percent in the first quarter, after a 0.2 percent contraction in the fourth quarter of 2012.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Economic News
What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.