France's registered unemployment rose by 15,500 in May 2026 to 3,116 thousand people, reversing a decline of 9,000 in April. The increase was driven entirely by individuals aged 25 to 49, whose number of registered job seekers rose by 15,500 to 1,813 thousand. Meanwhile, unemployment among those under 25 increased by 3,300, but this was fully offset by an equivalent decline among people aged 50 and over. As a result, the number of registered unemployed stood at 508 thousand for those under 25 and 794 thousand for those aged 50 and above. source: DARES, France

The number of unemployed persons in France increased to 3115.60 Thousand in May of 2026 from 3100.10 Thousand in April of 2026. Unemployed Persons in France averaged 2942.01 Thousand from 1996 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 4294.00 Thousand in April of 2020 and a record low of 1980.60 Thousand in February of 2008. This page provides the latest reported value for - Unemployed Persons - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. France Unemployed Persons - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on July of 2026.

The number of unemployed persons in France increased to 3115.60 Thousand in May of 2026 from 3100.10 Thousand in April of 2026. Unemployed Persons in France is expected to be 3120.00 Thousand by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the France Unemployed Persons is projected to trend around 3150.00 Thousand in 2027 and 3100.00 Thousand in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-05-29 10:00 AM
Jobseekers Total
Apr 3100.1K 3109.1K 3132.1K
2026-06-26 10:00 AM
Jobseekers Total
May 3115.6K 3100.1K 3088.1K
2026-07-28 10:00 AM
Jobseekers Total
Jun 3115.6K 3120K


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Unemployment Benefit Claims 15.50 -9.00 Thousand May 2026
Job Vacancies 232.60 274.30 Thousand May 2026
Jobseekers Total 3115.60 3100.10 Thousand May 2026
Wage Growth 1.70 1.60 percent Jun 2026


France Unemployed Persons
The jobseekers total in France refers to the registered number of unemployed at the end of the month at employment center which are obliged to actively seek a job.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
3115.60 3100.10 4294.00 1980.60 1996 - 2026 Thousand Monthly
Volume, SA

News Stream
France Jobseekers Rise in May
France's registered unemployment rose by 15,500 in May 2026 to 3,116 thousand people, reversing a decline of 9,000 in April. The increase was driven entirely by individuals aged 25 to 49, whose number of registered job seekers rose by 15,500 to 1,813 thousand. Meanwhile, unemployment among those under 25 increased by 3,300, but this was fully offset by an equivalent decline among people aged 50 and over. As a result, the number of registered unemployed stood at 508 thousand for those under 25 and 794 thousand for those aged 50 and above.
2026-06-26
France Unemployment Declines in April
France's registered unemployment decreased by 9,000 in April 2026, reaching 3,100.1 million, following a 35,600 increase in March. The decline was led by the 25-49 age group, where joblessness declined by 4,800 to 1,797.8 million, and by those aged over 50, which declined by 7,000 to 797.7 million. In contrast, unemployment in the under-25 category increased by 2,800 to 504.6 million.
2026-05-29
French Unemployment Rises in March
France’s registered unemployment increased by 35,600 in March 2026, reaching 3.109 million, following a revised 8,500 decline in February. This rise marks the end of four consecutive months of falling unemployment, led by the 25-49 age group, where joblessness rose by 25,600 to 1.803 million. Unemployment among those aged 50 and over climbed by 7,000 to 805,000, while the under-25 category saw a 3,000 increase to 502,000.
2026-04-28