And the outlook is not looking good for 2009 either. Reuters:
Germany's economy suffered a record slide in the final quarter of last year and France shrank at the fastest pace in 34 years, suggesting grim forecasts for euro zone GDP, due later on Friday, could yet be too optimistic.
German gross domestic product shrank by a bigger-than-expected 2.1 percent quarter-on-quarter, its worst quarterly performance since reunification in 1990, preliminary data showed on Friday.
Economists polled by Reuters last week had forecast GDP would drop by 1.8 percent on the quarter.
French GDP fell 1.2 percent quarter-on-quarter.
Economists had predicted a drop of 1.1 percent after growth of just 0.1 percent in the third quarter.
