France Jobless Rate Hits 5-Year High

2026-05-13 05:47 By Judith Sib-at 1 min. read

The unemployment rate in France rose to 8.1% in the first quarter of 2026, above forecasts of 7.8%, from 7.9% in the previous quarter.

This marked the highest level since the first quarter of 2021, as the number of unemployed people increased by 68,000 to 2.6 million.

The jobless rate was also 0.7 percentage points higher than a year earlier.

By age group, unemployment among those aged 25–49 climbed to 7.3% from 6.9% in the previous quarter, and the rate for those aged 50 and over edged up to 5.2% from 5.1%, whereas unemployment among those aged 15–24 fell to 21.1% from 21.5%.

By gender, the male unemployment rate rose to a five-year high of 8.5% from 8.2%, while female unemployment ticked up to 7.7% from 7.6%.

Meanwhile, the employment rate for people aged 15–64 rose slightly to 69.5%, near a record high, from 69.4%.

The full-time employment rate inched higher to 57.7% from 57.6%, while part-time employment was unchanged at 11.8%.

The activity rate reached a new record of 75.6%.



News Stream
France Jobless Rate Hits 5-Year High
The unemployment rate in France rose to 8.1% in the first quarter of 2026, above forecasts of 7.8%, from 7.9% in the previous quarter. This marked the highest level since the first quarter of 2021, as the number of unemployed people increased by 68,000 to 2.6 million. The jobless rate was also 0.7 percentage points higher than a year earlier. By age group, unemployment among those aged 25–49 climbed to 7.3% from 6.9% in the previous quarter, and the rate for those aged 50 and over edged up to 5.2% from 5.1%, whereas unemployment among those aged 15–24 fell to 21.1% from 21.5%. By gender, the male unemployment rate rose to a five-year high of 8.5% from 8.2%, while female unemployment ticked up to 7.7% from 7.6%. Meanwhile, the employment rate for people aged 15–64 rose slightly to 69.5%, near a record high, from 69.4%. The full-time employment rate inched higher to 57.7% from 57.6%, while part-time employment was unchanged at 11.8%. The activity rate reached a new record of 75.6%.
2026-05-13
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.
2026-02-10
France Jobless Rate Highest Since 2021
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.
2025-11-13