France is benefiting from the global upturn we're seeing, with increasing numbers of companies in Asia and the U.S. buying investment goods in particular.

France once again continues to buck the trend although there is increasing divergence.

(This) suggests a sustainable upturn with firms becoming increasingly keen to take on more staff and bear the extra cost burden.

Companies have been subject to pressures to look after shareholders by increasing dividends and doing share buybacks and also having to put money into their own pension funds.

The need for global PR is increasing as more U.S. companies of all sizes venture into overseas markets. Not surprisingly, the survey data shows there's a gap between the need and execution of international programs, and it's tied to poor communication between the various global PR hubs.

In Germany, output prices are remaining very subdued and it's a suggestion that German companies are being more competitive than companies in, say, France and Italy on price, and therefore winning more business abroad.