France Jobless Rate Unexpectedly Falls in Q3

The unemployment rate in France edged down to 8.2% in the third quarter of 2026 from 8.3% in the previous quarter, defying market expectations that it would rise to 8.4%. The number of unemployed people decreased by 47,000 quarter-on-quarter to 2.63 million, but was up by 150,000 compared with the same period last year. Among age groups, the unemployment rate for those aged 15-24 fell to 21.0% from 21.5%, while the rate for those aged 25-49 declined to 7.3% from 7.5%. For people aged 50 and over, it edged up to 5.6% from 5.5%, marking the highest level since Q1 2022. By gender, the male unemployment rate increased to 8.6% from 8.5%, while the female rate declined to 7.8% from 8.1%. Meanwhile, the employment rate for people aged 15-64 edged up to 69.1% from 69.0%, remaining 0.2 percentage points lower than a year earlier. The activity rate declined slightly to 75.3% from 75.4%, but remained 0.1 percentage points higher year-on-year.

The unemployment rate in France rose to 8.3% in the second quarter of 2026 from 8.1% in the previous quarter, topping market forecasts of 8.2%. It was the highest level since the third quarter of 2020, with the number of unemployed people rising by 62,000 to 2.7 million. Compared with the same period last year, the jobless rate was 0.7 percentage points higher. Unemployment increased across all age groups. The rate for those aged 15-24 picked up to 21.6% from 21.2% in the previous quarter. Among those aged 25-49, it rose to 7.5% from 7.3%, reaching the highest level since Q1 2021. For people aged 50 and over, the rate increased to 5.5% from 5.2%, marking the highest level since Q1 2022. By gender, the male unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.5%, the highest level in five years, while the female unemployment rate rose to 8.2% from 7.8%. The employment rate for people aged 15-64 fell to 69.0% from 69.3%, while the activity rate edged down to 75.4% from a record of 75.5%.

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%.