French unemployment hits six-year high as jobless total reaches 2.7 million

France's unemployment rate rose to 8.3 percent in the second quarter of 2026, its highest level in nearly six years, according to figures published by the national statistics agency Insee on Friday.

The rate increased by 0.2 percentage points compared with the first three months of the year, reaching a level last seen during the Covid-19 pandemic in autumn 2020.

Excluding that exceptional period, unemployment is now at its highest since the third quarter of 2019.

The number of unemployed people, based on the International Labour Organization (ILO) definition, rose by 62,000 over the quarter to 2.7 million.

Despite the increase, the unemployment rate remains 2.2 percentage points below its mid-2015 peak, Insee said.

The latest figures also include Mayotte, the French department in the Indian Ocean, with earlier data adjusted to allow comparisons over time.

Insee said the change had only a limited impact on the overall picture, slightly raising the unemployment rate without altering the broader quarterly trend.

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Younger workers hardest hit

Unemployment increased across all age groups during the second quarter, with young people continuing to face by far the toughest job market.

The rate among 15 to 24-year-olds rose by 0.4 percentage points to 21.6 percent.

Among those aged 25 to 49, it climbed to 7.5 percent – its highest level since early 2021 – while unemployment among people aged 50 and over reached 5.5 percent, the highest since the first quarter of 2022.

Insee also pointed to the effects of France's Full Employment Law , which came into force in January 2025.

Recipients of the RSA minimum-income benefit and young people aged 15 to 29 have accounted for nearly half of the increase in unemployment since the reform was introduced.

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Millions remain on margins of job market

Beyond those officially classified as unemployed, another 1.9 million people said they wanted to work but were not counted as unemployed because they were either not actively looking for a job or were not immediately available to start work.

Insee describes this group as the "halo around unemployment".

Its size increased by just 6,000 people during the quarter, which the agency said amounted to little overall change.

The group represents 4.4 percent of people aged between 15 and 64, although the proportion is considerably higher among younger people.

Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou sought to put the figures in a broader economic context.

"Despite a difficult economic environment, the French labour market remains resilient," he said.

(With newswires)