In 2010, unemployment rate in France reached a record level of 10.4 percent. Unemployment remains a rampant issue for French economy, being stagnant year-over-year since the financial and economical crisis in 2008. During the first quarter of 2018, more than 1.4 million people aged between 25 and 49 years were unemployed in France.

Change in unemployment since 2008

In 2008, year of the financial crisis, unemployment rate in France reached its lowest level since 2004. That year, France had an unemployment rate of 7.4 percent while, one year before it had reached 8 eight percent. Unemployment is an important economic factor for a country and a measure of a region’s economic health. Despite its low level in 2008, unemployment rate in France increased steadily between 2009 and 2016. In 2015, it even reached its highest level since the mid-2000s with a percentage of unemployed people among the French population which was of 10.4 percent. That year, unemployed people represented 11.5 percent of the urban population in France. However, French unemployment rate seemed to be experiencing improvements in recent years. In 2017, long-term employment rate decreased after several years of constant growth.

Unemployment in France and the EU

European markets were particularly affected by the 2008 global financial crisis and the recession which followed. Nevertheless, Unemployment rate in the EU reached 6.5 percent in January 2019, compared to 7.2 percent one year before and the number of unemployed persons in the European Union and the Euro area is declining since 2018. This improvement seems to be affecting France to a lesser extent. France was one of the EU members with the highest unemployment rate in 2019, and youth unemployment still reaches a record number in the country.

France Unemployment Rate: Zone: sa: Paris data was reported at 7.700 % in Jun 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 7.900 % for Mar 2018. France Unemployment Rate: Zone: sa: Paris data is updated quarterly, averaging 8.400 % from Mar 2003 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 62 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9.200 % in Mar 2004 and a record low of 6.600 % in Sep 2008. France Unemployment Rate: Zone: sa: Paris data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.G026: Unemployment: by Region and Zone.

This statistic shows the unemployment rate in France from 1991 to 2024. In 2024, the unemployment rate in France was around 7.37 percent. Population of France A member of the G7 and G20, France is one of the world's most powerful, advanced and emerging economies. With a total population of around 65 million people, France’s economy must adapt itself to employ the growing population. Although the rates of population growth in the past five years have declined in comparison to the population growth rates between 2003 and 2007, there is still an overall growth in the total population. An important factor that directly affects the French economy is the percentage increase in people who are 65 years of age or older and the percentage decline of people between the ages of 15 and 64 years. Because the percentage of the working population is decreasing, mainly people between the ages of 15 and 64 years, and the median age of the population in France is increasing, the economy must adapt to the growing competition by providing more employment opportunities. With the Eurozone crisis and global financial crisis of 2008, the real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate in France suffered dramatic drops between 2008 and 2009 in comparison to the previous year. Despite having increased between 2009 and 2013, employment in France has not reached the record high of 2008 again yet. In addition, the unemployment rates in the last decade have increased by almost two percent.

Unemployment Rate in France increased to 7.70 percent in the third quarter of 2025 from 7.60 percent in the second quarter of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - France Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

France Unemployment Rate: Region: Bretagne data was reported at 7.500 % in Jun 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 7.600 % for Mar 2018. France Unemployment Rate: Region: Bretagne data is updated quarterly, averaging 7.950 % from Mar 1982 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 146 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9.400 % in Mar 1985 and a record low of 5.700 % in Mar 2008. France Unemployment Rate: Region: Bretagne data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.G026: Unemployment: by Region and Zone.

In the first quarter of 2025, the unemployment rate was *** percent. The unemployment curve has been declining since the first quarter of 2018, aside from a rise in the third quarter of 2020.Between 1982 and 2020, the unemployment curve fluctuated widely from *** percent in the first quarter of 1982 to **** percent in the first quarter of 1994. Since 1982, France has never achieved full employment, estimated at **** percent by the International Labor Organization (ILO).Unemployment represents all people aged 15 and over who are unemployed and looking for a job. Its measurement is complex. The boundaries between employment, unemployment, and inactivity are not always easy to establish, which often leads to talk of a "halo" around unemployment. The source follows the definition of unemployment described by the ILO.

Youth Unemployment Rate in France increased to 18.30 percent in September from 18.10 percent in August of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - France Youth Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

France Unemployment Rate: Region: Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes data was reported at 7.700 % in Jun 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 7.800 % for Mar 2018. France Unemployment Rate: Region: Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes data is updated quarterly, averaging 7.500 % from Mar 1982 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 146 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.300 % in Jun 1994 and a record low of 5.400 % in Mar 1982. France Unemployment Rate: Region: Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.G026: Unemployment: by Region and Zone.

France Unemployment Rate: Average: sa: Age: Women: 15 to 24 data was reported at 19.000 % in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 19.400 % for Jun 2018. France Unemployment Rate: Average: sa: Age: Women: 15 to 24 data is updated quarterly, averaging 22.600 % from Mar 1996 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 91 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 26.000 % in Jun 2013 and a record low of 16.800 % in Jun 2001. France Unemployment Rate: Average: sa: Age: Women: 15 to 24 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.G024: Unemployment Rate: Seasonally Adjusted.

France Unemployment Rate: Average: sa: MF: Age: Men: Above 49 data was reported at 6.300 % in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 6.400 % for Jun 2018. France Unemployment Rate: Average: sa: MF: Age: Men: Above 49 data is updated quarterly, averaging 5.100 % from Mar 1975 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 175 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.800 % in Jun 2015 and a record low of 1.700 % in Mar 1975. France Unemployment Rate: Average: sa: MF: Age: Men: Above 49 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.G024: Unemployment Rate: Seasonally Adjusted.

This graph shows the number of people looking for a job in France between the first quarter of 2017 and the first quarter of 2025, by age. Among all job seekers in France, about ******* were older than 50 years old during the first quarter of 2025.

France Unemployment Rate: Average: sa: Age: Men: 25 to 49 data was reported at 8.100 % in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 8.000 % for Jun 2018. France Unemployment Rate: Average: sa: Age: Men: 25 to 49 data is updated quarterly, averaging 8.000 % from Mar 1996 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 91 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.100 % in Jun 2015 and a record low of 5.700 % in Jun 2008. France Unemployment Rate: Average: sa: Age: Men: 25 to 49 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.G024: Unemployment Rate: Seasonally Adjusted.

France Unemployment Rate: Region: Grand Est data was reported at 8.600 % in Jun 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 8.800 % for Mar 2018. France Unemployment Rate: Region: Grand Est data is updated quarterly, averaging 8.100 % from Mar 1982 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 146 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.400 % in Jun 2015 and a record low of 6.000 % in Mar 1982. France Unemployment Rate: Region: Grand Est data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.G026: Unemployment: by Region and Zone.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in member states of the European Union in July 2025. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Spain in July 2025 was 10.4 percent. The unemployment rate represents the share of the unemployed in all potential employees available to the job market. Unemployment rates in the EU The unemployment rate is an important measure of a country or region’s economic health, and despite unemployment levels in the European Union falling slightly from a peak in early 2013 , they remain high, especially in comparison to what the rates were before the worldwide recession started in 2008. This confirms the continuing stagnation in European markets, which hits young jobseekers particularly hard as they struggle to compete against older, more experienced workers for a job, suffering under jobless rates twice as high as general unemployment. Some companies, such as Microsoft and Fujitsu, have created thousands of jobs in some of the countries which have particularly dire unemployment rates, creating a beacon of hope. However, some industries such as information technology, face the conundrum of a deficit of qualified workers in the local unemployed work force, and have to hire workers from abroad instead of helping decrease the local unemployment rates. This skills mismatch has no quick solution, as workers require time for retraining to fill the openings in the growing science-, technology-, or engineering-based jobs, and too few students choose degrees that would help them obtain these positions. Worldwide unemployment also remains high, with the rates being worst in the Middle East and North Africa. Estimates by the International Labour Organization predict that the problem will stabilize in coming years, but not improve until at least 2017.

France Unemployment Rate: Zone: sa: Orleans data was reported at 7.500 % in Jun 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 7.700 % for Mar 2018. France Unemployment Rate: Zone: sa: Orleans data is updated quarterly, averaging 7.450 % from Mar 2003 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 62 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9.100 % in Jun 2015 and a record low of 5.100 % in Mar 2008. France Unemployment Rate: Zone: sa: Orleans data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.G026: Unemployment: by Region and Zone.

Number of job seekers 2000-2016: increase and decrease Change in unemployment rate 2000-2016 (in %). *Lorraine: 1999-2014, Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate: 2001-2016 Territorial entities: Cantons (LOR, LUX), Kreise (RLP, SL), arrondissements (WAL) Statistical data sources: INSEE Grand Est, Statistisches Landesamt Rheinland-Pfalz, Statistisches Amt Saarland, STATEC, IWEPS. Calculations: LISER 2018 Geodata sources: ACT Luxembourg 2017, IGN France 2017, GeoBasis-DE / BKG 2017, NGI-Belgium 2017. Harmonization: SIG-GR / GIS-GR 2018

The statistic shows the seasonally adjusted youth unemployment rate in EU member states as of July 2025. The source defines youth unemployment as unemployment of those younger than 25 years. In July 2025, the seasonally adjusted youth unemployment rate in Spain was at 26.6 percent. Youth unemployment rate in EU member states Unemployment is a crucial economic factor for a country; youth unemployment is often examined separately because it tends to be higher than unemployment in older age groups. It comprises the unemployment figures of a country’s labor force aged 15 to 24 years old (i.e. the earliest point at which mandatory school education ends). Typically, teenagers and those in their twenties who are fresh out of education do not find jobs right away, especially if the country’s economy is experiencing difficulties, as can be seen above. Additionally, it also tends to be higher in emerging markets than in industrialized nations. Worldwide, youth unemployment figures have not changed significantly over the last decade, nor are they expected to improve in the next few years. Youth unemployment is most prevalent in the Middle East and North Africa, even though these regions report high unemployment figures regardless (Zimbabwe and Turkmenistan are among the countries with the highest unemployment rates in the world, for example), and are also highly populated areas with a rather weak infrastructure, compared to industrialized regions. In the European Union and the euro area, unemployment in general has been on the rise since 2008, which is due to the economic crisis which caused bankruptcy and financial trouble for many employers, and thus led to considerable job loss, less job offerings, and consequently, to a rise of the unemployment rate. Older workers are struggling to find new jobs despite their experience, and young graduates are struggling to find new jobs, because they have none. All in all, the number of unemployed persons worldwide is projected to rise, this is not down to the economic crisis alone, but also the industrial automation of processes previously performed by workers, as well as rising population figures.

France Unemployment Rate: Zone: sa: Annecy data was reported at 5.700 % in Jun 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 5.600 % for Mar 2018. France Unemployment Rate: Zone: sa: Annecy data is updated quarterly, averaging 6.100 % from Mar 2003 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 62 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.000 % in Mar 2010 and a record low of 4.200 % in Mar 2008. France Unemployment Rate: Zone: sa: Annecy data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.G026: Unemployment: by Region and Zone.

France Unemployment Rate: Zone: sa: Mantes-la-Jolie data was reported at 10.500 % in Jun 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 10.600 % for Mar 2018. France Unemployment Rate: Zone: sa: Mantes-la-Jolie data is updated quarterly, averaging 9.800 % from Mar 2003 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 62 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11.800 % in Sep 2015 and a record low of 7.700 % in Mar 2008. France Unemployment Rate: Zone: sa: Mantes-la-Jolie data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.G026: Unemployment: by Region and Zone.

Unemployment Rate: Region: Metropolitan France data was reported at 8.700 % in Jun 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 8.900 % for Mar 2018. Unemployment Rate: Region: Metropolitan France data is updated quarterly, averaging 8.650 % from Mar 1982 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 146 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.400 % in Jun 1997 and a record low of 6.400 % in Mar 1982. Unemployment Rate: Region: Metropolitan France data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.G026: Unemployment: by Region and Zone.