French consumer confidence rises in March

By Inti Landauro
PARIS
French consumer confidence rose in March as households grew more optimistic about their financial situation and the overall standard of living in France, according to data released by the national statistics agency Insee                                        
In March, the consumer confidence index increased to 88 from 85 in February, back to its July 2012 level, Insee said                                        
The improvement is mostly due to French households' better view regarding their personal financial situation and their ability to save money, according to the agency                                        
French households were also more optimistic about unemplyment in the March survey, Insee said, even though data released showed that unemployment in France kept increasing to reach a record level of 3,347 million unemployed                                        
The data will be but a meagre consolation for President Francois Hollande, whose socialist party suffered a major setback in the first round of the municipal elections last week