France’s unemployment rate increased to 8.3% in the second quarter of 2026, up from 8.1% in the previous quarter and slightly above market expectations of 8.2%. This marked the highest level since the third quarter of 2020, as the number of unemployed people rose by 62,000 to reach 2.7 million. The rate was also 0.7 percentage points higher than in the same period a year earlier.
Joblessness increased across all age groups. Among those aged 15–24, the unemployment rate edged up to 21.6% from 21.2%. For individuals aged 25–49, it rose to 7.5% from 7.3%, and for those aged 50 and over, it climbed to 5.5% from 5.2%.
By gender, the male unemployment rate held steady at 8.5%, remaining at its highest level in five years, while the female unemployment rate increased to 8.2% from 7.8%.
