A trend that is confirmed, and that the executive will not fail to recall, especially with the approach of the presidential election: unemployment continues to decline. 3.206 million people in France were unemployed in category A in January, according to figures from the Ministry of Labor published on Friday. This is 3.1% less than in December.
Including reduced activity (categories B and C), the number of job seekers in France (excluding Mayotte) is down 0.9% compared to the previous month and stands at 5.546 million (-50,500 ), according to the Statistics Department (Dares).
Over one year, the drop in category A is 15.4% (-583,000 people). For categories A, B and C, it is 7.7% (-461,900). The fall in category A concerns all regions in January and is particularly marked among young people (-8.5%, or -36,800 young people). Categories B and C increased by 5.1% and 0.9% respectively.
About 7% unemployment
The share of long-term job seekers (registered for a year or more) is 48.6%. Dares does not comment on the monthly data, which is too volatile, favoring quarterly changes.
The latest quarterly results published at the end of January had reported a sharp drop of 5.9% in the fourth quarter of 2021 compared to the previous quarter, i.e. 208,500 fewer registered in category A, to 3.336 million. The number of unemployed reached its lowest level since the third quarter of 2012 at the end of 2021.
In the fourth quarter, the unemployment rate in France (excluding Mayotte), as defined by the International Labor Office, was around 7.4%, approaching candidate Macron’s campaign target in 2017, set at 7%. “The reforms carried out and the decisions taken during the crisis have borne fruit,” Labor Minister Élisabeth Borne said on February 17.
In his allowance of November 9, 2021, Emmanuel Macron indicated that he wanted to “aim for full employment”, around 5 to 6% unemployment. A goal repeated by Elisabeth Borne, the Minister of Labor. According to her, the current trend allows “to glimpse a return to full employment”.