France's jobless rate remained unchanged in October at 9.7 per cent amid signs the euro zone's second-largest economy was turning the corner after flirting with recession.
The Labour Ministry said this morning that the number of people officially registered as out of work fell by 8,000 in October, down 0.3 per cent month-on-month, to 2,631,000 on the basis of International Labour Organisation criteria.
Despite the slight monthly drop in the absolute figure, the unemployment rate remains at its highest level since April 2000 and sharply above the euro zone jobless rate of 8.8 per cent.
Analysts said that rigid French labour laws had prevented firms from shedding staff as quickly as they needed to improve profit margins. A strong euro was putting further pressure on French companies seeking to export their goods.