France’s economy expanded faster than expected in the second quarter, with gross domestic product rising 0.3% from the previous three months after a 0.1% gain in the first quarter, according to the first estimate from statistics office INSEE. On an annual basis, output grew 0.7%. A rebound in household consumption helped, with separate data showing June consumer spending up 0.6% month on month and 0.9% from a year earlier. Inflation readings across the euro area offered a mixed picture. Spain’s flash consumer-price index accelerated to 2.7% in July from 2.3% in June, the fastest pace since February, while month-on-month prices dipped 0.1%. In France, preliminary harmonised inflation held at 0.9% year on year. Germany’s provisional July figures showed national inflation steady at 2.0% and the EU-harmonised measure easing to 1.8%; both month-on-month gauges picked up to 0.3% and 0.4% respectively. Labour-market data pointed to continued resilience. German unemployment was unchanged at 6.3% in July, with the number of jobless rising by only 2,000, far below expectations. Eurostat said the euro-area unemployment rate stayed at 6.2% in June, undershooting economists’ forecasts. The combination of firmer French growth and stubbornly moderate price pressures elsewhere will inform the European Central Bank’s next policy deliberations as officials weigh how quickly inflation is converging on their 2% target.