Seasonally-adjusted French industrial output in October was down 0.1 pct from September, following a decline of 0.8 pct in September from August, statistics office Insee said.
September's decline was revised from an initially reported fall of 0.9 pct, but the October drop was unexpected. A consensus estimate of economists polled by AFX News was for October's output to show a 0.6 pct month-on-month rise. Manufacturing output, which excludes food and energy, was up 0.3 pct in October, while the decline in September was revised to 0.8 pct from the 1.0 pct initially reported.
The October gain was weaker than the 0.5 pct forecast by economists.
Food output was up 0.9 pct in October from September, after a drop of 1.7 pct the previous month. Output of consumer goods was up 0.8 pct in October, after a September drop of 0.1 pct.
Automobile output rose 1.4 pct, rebounding from September's 3.3 pct fall.
Capital goods production was down 0.2 pct, after rising 2.2 pct in September. Output of intermediate goods rose 0.2 pct in October, after declining 2.1 pct in September.
Energy output was down 2.9 pct, after falling 0.4 pct in September.