France Unemployment Rate

The unemployment rate in France edged up to 7.4% in the first quarter of 2025 from 7.3% in the previous period, in line with market expectations. The number of unemployed persons rose by 64 thousand from a month earlier to reach 2.4 million. By age group, the jobless rate for those aged 15 to 24 was virtually unchanged (+0.1 percentage point) at 19.2%, remaining 1.1 points higher than a year ago. For individuals aged 25 to 49, the rate was stable at 6.7%, up 0.1 point over the quarter and down 0.1 point year-on-year. Among those aged 50 and over, the unemployment rate held steady at 4.7%, which is 0.3 points lower than the same period last year. By gender, the jobless rate for women increased by 0.3 points to 7.4%, matching the male unemployment rate, which was nearly unchanged (-0.1 point). Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate rose to 75.1%, up from 74.6% in the previous quarter.