PARIS (Reuters) - French services activity picked up in February from the previous month, as anti-government "yellow vests" protests lost some of their momentum, a survey showed on Tuesday.
Data compiler IHS Markit said its Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for the French services industry rose to 50.2 points from 47.8 in January.
IHS Markit's overall composite PMI index, which includes both the services and manufacturing sectors, also advanced to 50.4 points from 48.2 in January.
Turnout for the 16th round of "yellow vests" ('gilets jaunes') protests in France last weekend was below the previous week's levels and marches were largely peaceful, a relief for President Emmanuel Macron who has struggled to find a response to the movement.
"With the worst of the 'gilets jaunes' protests having passed, the composite rebound was aided by signs of a fractional recovery in the service sector. Service providers consequently increased staff numbers at a quicker rate than in January," said IHS Markit economist Eliot Kerr.
"However, despite the return to expansion, it is clear that France still has a way to go before reaching its growth potential. Volumes of new business continued to decline, which indicates that demand is yet to fully recover," added Kerr.
