The unemployment rate in France rose to 8.3% in the second quarter of 2026, the highest level in nearly six years, the national statistics agency Insee reported on Friday.
The figure increased by 0.2 percentage points compared to the first quarter of the year and reached a level last seen during the COVID-19 pandemic in the fall of 2020. Excluding this exceptional period, unemployment is now at its highest since the third quarter of 2019. The number of unemployed, as defined by the International Labour Organization (ILO), increased by 62,000 people over the quarter, reaching 2.7 million. Despite this, the unemployment rate remains 2.2 percentage points lower than its peak in mid-2015, according to Insee.
The latest data also includes Mayotte — a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean. Previous statistics were adjusted to ensure correct comparison. Insee noted that this had only a minor impact on the overall unemployment rate and did not change the quarterly trend.
Youth remain the most vulnerable in the labor market
The unemployment rate rose in all age groups, but the situation remains most difficult for young people. Among those aged 15 to 24, the rate increased by 0.4 percentage points to 21.6%. In the 25 to 49 age group, it rose to 7.5% — the highest level since the beginning of 2021, while among those aged 50 and over, unemployment reached 5.5%, the highest level since the first quarter of 2022.
Insee also drew attention to the effects of the French Full Employment Law, which came into force in January 2025. Recipients of the minimum RSA benefit and young people aged 15 to 29 accounted for almost half of the increase in unemployment following the introduction of this reform.
In addition to the officially registered unemployed, another 1.9 million people said they wanted to work but were not included in the unemployment statistics because they were either not actively seeking work or could not start immediately. Insee refers to this category as the “unemployment halo”. Its numbers increased by only 6,000 over the quarter. This group represents 4.4% of the population aged 15 to 64, although its share is significantly higher among young people.
Labor Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou stated that “despite the difficult economic environment, the French labor market remains resilient.”
Source: RFI
