French business activity falls back in November

France's economy worsened in November, a survey suggested Thursday, as activity in the private sector ended a brief period of growth to fall at the fastest rate in five months
The figures suggest the French economy won't rebound quickly from the decline in output it suffered between July and September
Data provider Markit said a preliminary reading of its composite Purchasing Managers' Index for France fell to 48.5 in November, underneath the 50 threshold that denotes month-to-month growth
The index in September and October had shown gradually rising activity among manufacturers and service providers, with readings of 50.5 in both months
Incoming business fell, as did employment and firms' confidence about future activity levels
Activity fell across both the manufacturing and services industries
The survey data suggest a downturn in the French economy in the third quarter may extend into the fourth, said Jack Kennedy, senior economist at Markit
"The poor set of figures underline the fragility of the economy in the face of a persistently anemic demand environment," he said