BANK OF FRANCE SEES CONTINUED INDUSTRIAL PICKUP The Bank of France expects a continued revival in short-term industrial activity, but the outlook for any improvement in France's record 10.9 pct unemployment rate remains bleak, the Bank of France said in its monthly review. The upturn in activity in all industrial sectors except the agro-food sector in February more than compensated for the fall in January, while construction and civil engineering experienced a recovery which appears likely to extend over the next few months. Internal demand rose and the export situation improved, in particular toward the European Community (EC), the Bank said. Stocks decreases and order book levels, with the exception of the agro-food industry, improved substantially. In addition, retail prices and salaries stabilised last months. Production rose in all sectors except agricultural machinery and aeronautics, where it stabilised, and ship construction, where it declined. The car industry was the major beneficiary of the upturn in activity in February, with both domestic and export orders rising. In the consumer goods sector, actitity rose sharply despite a fall in the household goods sector and stability in pharmaceuticals. Among semi-finished products, output rose sharply, helped by a strong growth in construction materials. But activity in the retail sector declined slightly over the past two months.