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.





