Source:Insee

26 JANUARY 2012

Unemployment figures worsened for the eighth consecutive month in Metropole and rose +1% in December above 2.874 million jobless, nearing the record high 2.849 million recorded in November 1999 and for the third month.
Job search exemptions, granted above the 55 age limit  shot up +57.9% in December but will no longer be applicable from this year due to the extension of the legal retirement age to 62.    

In December, including the French Overseas Departments (DOM) the number of jobless increased +1% to 3 111 4 million while the total number of job seekers (including all categories of people seeking work) rose to 4 537.8 million or +0.6%.  

Per age group and on the same period, youth and seniors were impacted the most, respectively +1.3% to 455 600 and +2% to 606 200 while the intermediate 25-49 age bracket edged up to +0.7% to 1812.7 million, the largest group.

Per gender, female unemployment stayed on the rise or +1.3% to over 1.398 million and male's rose +0.8% to 1.475 9 million. Females aged 50 and over were effected the most by the labor market deterioration, +2.4% to 287 700 unemployed although male job seekers of the same age group recorded +1.6% increase to 318 500.

Registrations at job centers on the same period due to the end of short term employment declined by 3.7% and due to the end of temporary jobs stayed unchanged. Inversely and due to lay-offs, the number of registrations jumped +5.7% despite +19.3% rise of job seekers on training schemes. 

Job vacancies, in negative territory or -5.5% , reflected the labor market feebleness: offers over 6 months decreased -9.6% while temporary jobs (1 to 6 months) froze -0.2%. Occasional vacancies plummeted -10.5%.
 
In one year, unemployment increased +5.6% with female joblessness up +7.5% and male's +3.8%. Senior unemployment skyrocketed +16% with female's up +18.5% and male's +13.9%. For female youth under 25, joblessness rose +4.2% and for young males a more moderate although still alarming +1.5%. In the French West Indies, youth unemployment grew +3.2 and +2.7% in Metropole.
On the same period, job vacancies in Metropole climbed +7.1% but temporary job offers increased the most, +15.4% compared with long term employment +4.6%. Occasional job vacancies fell -10.5%. Registrations at job centers due to the end of short term jobs swell +8.1%, due to the end of temporary jobs +12.5% and due to lay-offs declined -2.6%. The number of job seekers on training schemes increased +12.9%