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France's Jobless Rate Rises to Highest Level Since Third Quarter of 2020

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France's Jobless Rate Rises to Highest Level Since Third Quarter of 2020

France's jobless rate rose more than expected in the second quarter of 2026, rising across all age groups and hitting its highest point since the third quarter of 2020, government data showed.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate moved up to 8.3% in the second quarter from 8.1% in the prior three-month period, according to data from statistics agency Insee published Friday. The latest reading sits above the consensus estimate of 8.2%.

"[The unemployment rate] reached its highest level since Q3 2020, which was affected by the health crisis, and since Q3 2019 onward. However, it still remained clearly below its peak level reached in Q2 2015 (-2.2 points)," the agency noted.

Data also showed that the number of unemployed people in France, excluding Mayotte, as defined by the International Labour Office, reached 2.7 million during the quarter, up by 62,000.

The unemployment rate for people aged 15 to 24 years came in at 21.6%, against 21.2% in the previous quarter, while that for people aged 25 to 49 years edged up over the period to 7.5% from 7.3%.

Meanwhile, the country's employment rate for people aged 15 to 24 years declined on a quarterly basis to 33.8% from 34.1%. For people aged 15 to 64 years, the employment rate stood at 69.1%, down from the prior 69.3%.

French Labor and Solidarity Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou said France's labor market remains resilient despite a challenging economy, with the government prioritizing youth employment, apprenticeships, older workers' participation, and skills development in strategic sectors including nuclear energy, the green transition and defense.

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