Industrial output in France rose 1 percent month-on-month in January thanks to a strong performance by manufacturing businesses, according to figures released by national statistics bureau Insee on Thursday.

Manufacturing output increased by 1.8 percent after a 0.2-percent fall the previous month. The rise was "driven by output of intermediate goods that meet the demands of construction, rebounding after the trough of December due to climatic conditions," Insee said.

At the end of January, construction business jumped 7.9 percent, while the electrical and electronic sector grew 3.5 percent.

Output in mining and energy fell 4 percent due to "lower consumption of gas and electricity, still in line with the climatic conditions," Insee said.

The figures were confirmation of a rebounding French economy since the end of 2010, and in turn "the forecast of an acceleration of GDP in the first quarter of 2011," Economic Minister Christine Lagarde said in a statement posted on the ministry website.

According to the World Trade Organization, France was the world's sixth-largest exporter and fourth-largest importer of manufactured goods last year.