The French economy shrank by 2.2% last year, the worst recession since World War II, but registered growth of 0.6% in the last quarter, state statistics showed today.
The INSEE statistics agency revised its growth forecast downward for this year and said gross domestic output was expected to climb 0.2% for the first quarter this year and 0.3% for the second.
The government is banking on growth of 1.4% for the whole year in the hope that this will begin to make a dent in the jobless rate, which at 10% has reached its highest level in a decade.
