Final PMI: France services PMI fell to 48.0 in August from 49.6 in July,
slightly below the flash 48.4. New business returned to decline after a small
rise in July; eight of the past nine months have deteriorated. International
client sales fell, the largest drop since May. Backlogs of work contracted at
the fastest pace in four months, extending a 12-month run of decline. Employment
fell for a fourth consecutive month, though the pace of job losses eased. Firms
cited weak demand and extreme heat as headwinds. Price pressures re-emerged:
output charges rose at the fastest pace in three months and input cost inf
accelerated for the first time since May, with frequent mention of fuel costs.
