France jobless rate rises in Q3 ’24

France unemployment rate reached 7.4 per cent in Q3 2024, marking a 0.1-point rise over the quarter and returning to its level from a year ago, according to International Labour Office (ILO) data.

This increase brought the number of unemployed individuals to 2.3 million, up by 35,000. The rate remains slightly above its recent low of 7.1 per cent in late 2022 and early 2023 but well below the peak of 10.5 per cent in Q2 2015.

Youth unemployment saw a notable rise, with rates for those aged 15-24 increasing by 1.8 points over the quarter to 19.7 per cent, the highest since Q1 2021.

In contrast, unemployment among people aged 25-49 held steady at 6.6 per cent, and for those over 50, it dropped to 4.7 per cent, the lowest level since 2008. Gender disparities also emerged: the rate for women declined by 0.2 points to 7.2 per cent, while the men’s rate rose by 0.3 points to 7.6 per cent.