French unemployment rate drops to 2012 level
France's unemployment rate fell by 0.1 points between April and June 2017, reaching 9.2 percent in France.
Over the past year, unemployment has seen a decline of 0.5 percentage points and now stands at 9.2 percent in Metropolitan France and 9.5 percent including the overseas territories.
That's almost exactly the same level recorded at the beginning of 2012, just before Francois Hollande was elected, according to the preliminary figures released by Insee, France's national statistics agency, on Thursday.
Insee based their calculations on the number of people of working age who were actively searching for employment, not just those who were signed up at employment centres.
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In total, Insee recorded an average of 2.65 million unemployed people in metropolitan France, or 20,000 less than the previous quarter.
Among the 25-49 and over-50 age groups, unemployment fell by 0.3 points, while youth unemployment bucked the general trend, with the percentage of jobless 15-24-year-olds rising by 0.9 points.
Long-term unemployment also decreased, falling by 0.1 points compared to the first quarter and 0.3 points year-on-year.
Meanwhile, the employment and activity rate increased by 0.5 points.
The unemployment rate dipped below ten percent in 2017's first quarter, when it dropped to 9.6 percent after three years of stagnation.
New president Emmanuel Macron has made tackling unemployment a top priority and no doubt hopes the good news will help boost his flagging popularity ratings.
READ ALSO: French job speak - all the terms you need to know
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Over the past year, unemployment has seen a decline of 0.5 percentage points and now stands at 9.2 percent in Metropolitan France and 9.5 percent including the overseas territories.
That's almost exactly the same level recorded at the beginning of 2012, just before Francois Hollande was elected, according to the preliminary figures released by Insee, France's national statistics agency, on Thursday.
Insee based their calculations on the number of people of working age who were actively searching for employment, not just those who were signed up at employment centres.
- Is France the best place to be unemployed?
- Can France really force foreign labourers to speak French?
- The figures that tell the story of the French job market
AFP
In total, Insee recorded an average of 2.65 million unemployed people in metropolitan France, or 20,000 less than the previous quarter.
Among the 25-49 and over-50 age groups, unemployment fell by 0.3 points, while youth unemployment bucked the general trend, with the percentage of jobless 15-24-year-olds rising by 0.9 points.
Long-term unemployment also decreased, falling by 0.1 points compared to the first quarter and 0.3 points year-on-year.
Meanwhile, the employment and activity rate increased by 0.5 points.
The unemployment rate dipped below ten percent in 2017's first quarter, when it dropped to 9.6 percent after three years of stagnation.
New president Emmanuel Macron has made tackling unemployment a top priority and no doubt hopes the good news will help boost his flagging popularity ratings.
READ ALSO: French job speak - all the terms you need to know
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