France's unemployment rate falls by 0.1 point in the second quarter
The indicator established by INSEE amounts to 9.1% for the whole of France, a lower drop than expected by the institute.
After a slight recovery in the first quarter, the unemployment rate resumed its decline in the second quarter (-0.1 point), to stand at 9.1% for the whole of France (excluding Mayotte), according to preliminary figures. the INSEE published Tuesday, August 14th.
Over one year, the unemployment rate, measured by the National Institute of Statistics according to the standards of the International Labor Office (ILO), is down 0.3 points.
The indicator remains above the floor of 8.9% (revised downward) reached at the end of 2017.
The decline in the second quarter is less than expected. In its latest forecasts published in June, INSEE was counting on a 0.2 point decline.
All these developments are however to be analyzed with caution, as they are within the indicator's margin of error (+/- 0.3 points).
Unemployment for 15-24 year olds at 20.8%: In the first quarter of the year, young people (-0.6 point) and intermediate age categories (-0.1 point) saw their situation improve, while that of seniors remained stable. The unemployment rate for 15-24 year olds was 20.8%, the lowest level since the end of 2008, while the 50 and over rate is 6.5%.
On average, INSEE recorded 2.70 million unemployed people in the second quarter, down 48,000 (-1.7%) over three months and 104,000 (-3.7%) over one year.
Of these, 1.04 million have been looking for work for at least a year. The long-term unemployment rate is stable over three months at 3.6% of the labor force.
In parallel with the unemployment rate, the "halo around unemployment" also declined in the second quarter. These people who want to work, but who are not counted because they do not actively seek or are not available immediately, were 1.46 million in the second quarter (- 19 000 on the quarter, - 25 000 on one year).
Finally, the employment rate, ie the proportion of 15-64-year-olds working, increased slightly (+0.1 point), to 65.8%, its highest level since the start of the 1990s. 1980s.
