In the first quarter of 2023, France experienced a stable unemployment rate of 7.1%, according to the latest report from the International Labour Office (ILO). The number of unemployed individuals decreased slightly by 7,000, reaching a total of 2.2 million people. This rate is 0.3 points lower than the previous year and 3.4 points below its peak in the second quarter of 2015. It marks the lowest level since the second quarter of 2020, with the temporary decrease during the initial lockdown.
The unemployment rate among people aged 15 to 24 decreased by 0.2 points to 16.6% during the quarter. It remained relatively stable over the year and was 5.2 points lower than the pre-crisis level at the end of 2019. For those aged 25 to 49, the unemployment rate remained nearly unchanged at 6.4%, down 0.1 points from a year ago. Among individuals aged 50 or more, there was a slight increase of 0.1 points, resulting in a rate of 5.2%, which still remained lower than the previous year.
The unemployment rate for men held steady at 7.4%, while women saw a marginal decrease of 0.1 points, bringing their rate to 6.8%. A year ago, both genders had similar unemployment rates, with men at 7.4% and women at 7.3%.
Despite the stable unemployment rate, the number of individuals in the “halo” around unemployment, comprising those who desire employment but are not considered unemployed, increased by 62,000 during the quarter. This group now accounts for 4.6% of the population aged 15 to 64, with a significant increase of 0.5 points among young people aged 15 to 24.
The long-term unemployment rate, representing individuals actively seeking employment for at least one year, remained virtually stable at 1.8% of the labor force. It was 0.1 points lower than the previous quarter and 0.4 points below the level in the first quarter of 2022. This rate is the lowest since the first quarter of 2009, excluding the temporary decrease during the first lockdown in the second quarter of 2020.
On a positive note, the employment rate for individuals aged 15 to 64 increased by 0.3 points to 68.6% in the first quarter of 2023. This rate is 0.6 points higher than the previous year and the highest since measurements began in 1975. The employment rate rose across all age groups, with young people experiencing a 0.2-point increase to 35.3%, the highest level since 1990. The employment rate for individuals aged 25 to 49 increased by 0.3 points to 83.0%, the highest since 2008. Additionally, the employment rate for individuals aged 50 to 64 rose by 0.3 points to 66.5%, reaching its highest level since 1975.
While the full-time employment rate remained stable at 57.2%, the part-time employment rate increased by 0.2 points to 11.4%. Consequently, the share of part-time employment in the total employment rose by 0.1 points to 17.3%, which is 1.5 points lower than the pre-crisis level.
Underemployment, representing individuals who are employed but seeking more working hours, decreased by 0.2 points to 4.4% in the first quarter of 2023. This rate is 0.2 points lower than the previous year and 1.5 points below its peak in the third quarter of 2015.