sentiment in the french manufacturing sector rose slightly in december beating forecasts for a decline despite supply disruptions and the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus across europe manufacturing sentiment was at 111 in december up from a revised reading of 110 in november the french national statistics office said thursday economists polled by the wall street journal had forecast a reading of 108 the improvement in sentiment was mainly due to the increase in passed and planned production insee said the business sentiment indicator which includes all the economic sectors fell to 110 in december from 113 in november insee said sentiment rose in manufacturing and construction but fell in services and retail