France’s labour market continues to deteriorate according to the latest official figures.
Unemployment figures published in August revealed a sixth consecutive increase, reaching 8.3% in the second quarter of 2026, the highest rate since the COVID peaks.
Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou announced that he wanted to rely on apprenticeships to reverse the poorly developing trend in youth employment. However, the government points out that an increase in the unemployment rate was expected because, for the first time, the statistics include the effects of the full-employment law.