The decline in unemployment continued in the last quarter of 2021 with a net drop of 5.9% in the number of jobseekers without any activity (category A) compared to the previous quarter, according to published figures Wednesday 26 January by Pôle emploi. This reduction represents 208,500 fewer registered persons, out of a total of 3.336 million people.
Over one year, the decline is 12.6%, or 479,600 fewer unemployed. This record decrease more than erases the dramatic 7.5% rise in 2020 due to Covid. The number of unemployed at the end of 2021 reached its lowest level since the 3e quarter 2012.
Drop in youth unemployment
Including reduced activity (categories B and C), the number of job seekers fell in the fourth quarter by 3.6% and stood at 5.659 million, according to the statistics department (Dares) of the Ministry of job. Over one year, the drop is 5.8%.
On the long-term unemployment front, the number of jobseekers registered for a year or more fell by 4.1% in the 4th quarter (− 6.2% over one year), to 2.8 million (categories A, B and C). They represent 49.6% of all job seekers.
The fall in category A is greater among young people under 25 in the 4e quarter (− 8.5% in mainland France) than for the other age groups (− 6.7% for 25-49 year olds and − 4.1% for 50 year olds and over). In 2021, youth unemployment will thus have fallen by 17.8%, i.e. 87,400 fewer registered workers.
Over the quarter, admissions to Pôle emploi fell (− 11,700, or − 2.2%), in particular entries for the end of their contract. Exits stagnated (+3,000, or +0.5%).
The number of unemployed in category A is decreasing in the 13 regions of metropolitan France (between −12.5% in Corsica and −5.3% in Occitanie). In the overseas departments-regions excluding Mayotte, the decline was 1.2% (between −1.6% in Martinique and Réunion and +0.1% in Guyana).
In the fourth quarter, 708,100 people registered with Pôle Emploi were not required to look for a job. They are either not immediately available (category D, for example: training, job security contract, illness), or have a job (category E, for example: business creation, subsidized contract). Over this quarter, the number of registrants in category D decreased by 15.6% and that in category E increased by 1.8%.