The jobless rate in mainland France has fallen to 8.9 percent, down 0.7 points in the fourth quarter of 2017, having increased by 0.2 points in the third quarter of 2017 to 9.3 percent. Year-on-year, the decline was 1.1 percentage points.
Particularly satisfying for the French government is the fact that, according to INSEE, the French state statistics agency, all age groups are affected by the drop. The biggest overall fall in the jobless rate was for young people, 15-24 years old, for whom the unemployment rate fell by 2.8 points over one year to 20.7 percent.
Unemployment is now at its lowest level since early 2009, with an average 2.5 million unemployed in mainland France, 205,000 unemployed fewer.
INSEE announced on Wednesday, February 14, that 253,500 jobs were created in the private sector over the whole of 2017, an increase of 1.3 percent over one year. The French growth rate was 1.9 percent for the whole of 2017, its highest level in six years.