There are some signs of a slowdown in business activity in France and interest rates are also weighing on businesses, Patrick Martin, the head of France's Medef business lobby group, said on Monday.

"We see things are slowing down," he told France 2 TV.

Data published in July showed that France's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.5% in the second quarter, beating forecasts.

However, a monthly flash purchasing managers index (PMI) business survey published last week showed that France's dominant services sector had contracted further in August. (Reporting by Tassilo Hummel; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)