France Jobless Rate Climbs to Four-Year High

The unemployment rate in France climbed to 7.9% in Q4 2025, above the expected 7.8% and up from 7.7% in the previous quarter. This marks its highest level since Q3 2021, as the number of unemployed increased by 56,000 to 2.5 million, 0.6 points higher than a year earlier but still 2.6 points below its 2015 peak. By age, unemployment among 15–24-year-olds surged 2.4 points to 21.5%, rose 0.5 points to 16.0% for those aged 15–29, fell 0.2 points to 6.9% for 25–49-year-olds, and remained stable at 5.1% for those aged 50 and over. Female unemployment declined 0.1 points to 7.6%, while male unemployment rose 0.4 points to 8.1%. The employment rate for people aged 15–64 held at 69.4%, near a record high. The full-time employment rate remained stable at 57.5%, while part-time employment rose slightly to 11.8%. The activity rate reached 75.4%, its highest since records began.

The unemployment rate in France rose slightly to 7.7% in Q3 2025, in line with market expectations and up from 7.6% in the previous quarter. This marks the highest level since Q3 2021, as the number of unemployed increased by 44 thousand to 2.4 million, bringing the rate 0.3 points higher than a year earlier but still 2.8 points below its 2015 peak. By age, unemployment among those aged 15–24 fell 0.2 points to 18.8%, while it rose 0.2 points to 7.1% for those aged 25–49 and 0.3 points to 5.1% for those aged 50 and over. By gender, female unemployment climbed 0.3 points to 7.7%, matching the male rate. The employment rate for people aged 15–64 slipped 0.1 points to 69.4%, near a record high. The full-time employment rate remained stable at 57.6%, while part-time employment held at 11.8%. The activity rate came at 75.2%, 2.4 points above its end-2019 level. Long-term unemployment and underemployment remained stable at 1.8% and 4.4%, respectively.

The unemployment rate in France was unchanged at 7.5% in Q2 2025, in line with market expectations. The number of unemployed rose by 29 thousand to 2.4 million. By age, the rate for those aged 15–24 fell 0.2 points to 19% but was 1.2 points higher than a year ago. Among those aged 25–49, it declined 0.2 points to 6.9%, though up 0.3 points year-on-year. For those aged 50 and over, the rate held steady at 4.7%, down 0.2 points from last year. By gender, female unemployment fell 0.1 points to 7.3%, while the male rate rose 0.2 points to 7.7%. Meanwhile, the employment rate for those aged 15–64 edged up 0.1 point to 69.6%, the highest since records began in 1975 and 0.5 points above last year. Full-time employment held at 57.8%, while part-time rose 0.2 points to 11.8%. Part-time’s share in total employment rose slightly to 17.7%, still 1.1 points below its end-2019 level. Labor force participation increased to 75.3%, up from 75.1% in Q1.