According to a report released by the French Ministry of Labor on the 25th, the number of unemployed people in France (excluding Mayotte) increased in the third quarter of 2023, with a current unemployment rate of 7.2%.
According to the latest data from the Statistics Department of the French Ministry of Labor (Dares), the number of Class A job seekers who completely ceased their professional activities in the third quarter of 2023 in France increased by 0.6% compared to the second quarter, an increase of 17400 people to 3.0285 million, but decreased by 3.8% within a year, according to Le Figaro. If we add in Class B job seekers who work less than 78 hours a month and Class C job seekers who work more than 78 hours a month, the total number reaches 5.352 million, an increase of 0.2% in one quarter and a decrease of 1.3% in one year.
But the unemployment situation varies among different categories of population. The number of job seekers under the age of 25 has increased by 3.1% within a year, the number of job seekers aged 25 to 49 has decreased by 4% year-on-year, and the number of job seekers aged 50 and above has decreased by 6.4% year-on-year.
By region, the number of Class A job seekers in the Auvergne Rhone Alps region increased by 1.6% in one quarter, the New Aquitaine region increased by 1.4%, the Greater Eastern region increased by 1.1%, overseas territories decreased by 0.9%, and the Paris region remained stable.
France has experienced several quarters of economic activity slowdown, in which case maintaining a high level of employment is almost impossible. The large-scale assistance provided by the French government to enterprises during the COVID-19 epidemic ended. Enterprises must also repay the state guaranteed loans. The subsidies for employing apprentices are also declining, and the number of business failures is increasing. Both the French Central Bank and the French Economic Situation Observatory (OFCE) expect the unemployment rate to rise in the short term. According to the definition of the International Labour Organization, the unemployment rate in France may rise from the current 7.2% to 7.9%.
According to the "full employment" target announced by the French government, the unemployment rate will be reduced to 5% by 2027. Therefore, the government hopes to carry out in-depth reform of employment centers, better promote the return of unemployed people to work, and promote company recruitment. (Overseas Network Paris Lujia)