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The unemployment rate is stable in Q3 2009

The unemployment rate

The unemployment rate is stable after the increase of the previous quarters

The average ILO unemployment rate for Q3 2009 in metropolitan France and overseas departments reaches 9.5% of the active population.

In metropolitan France only, 9.1% of the active population is unemployed, i.e., about 2.6 million people. It is stable compared to the revised Q2 2009. The last time this rate was reached was on the beginning of 2006, before the unemployment decreased until the beginning of 2008.

More generally, in metropolitan France, 3.3 million people do not work but would like to work, whether they are available or not for work within two weeks, or whether they look actively for a job or not (see additional indicators on the internet).

ILO-unemployment rate

ILO-unemployment rate

Estimation close to +/-0.4 point of the unemployment rate

Estimation close to +/-0.3 point of the quaterly variation of the unemployment rate

France = Metropolitan France + overseas departments

Covers the population of people living in households, people aged 15 years or more

Source: INSEE, Labour Force Survey

Ilo-unemployment rate in metropolitan France
Seasonally adjusted, average over quarter - Metropolitan France
*(p) = provisional results
Covers the population of people living in households in metropolitan France, people aged 15 years or more
Source: INSEE, Labour Force Survey
ILO-unemployment rate (%) Variation in points Thousands
2009Q2 2009Q3 (p)* over quarter over year 2009Q3 (p)*
Total 9,1 9,1 0,0 1,7 2 583
15-24 years 23,5 23,8 0,3 4,6 642
25-49 years 8,1 8,2 0,1 1,6 1 495
50 years and more 5,9 6,2 0,3 1,1 446
Men 8,8 8,8 0,0 1,9 1 292
15-24 years 24,7 23,9 -0,8 4,5 344
25-49 years 7,6 7,5 -0,1 1,8 713
50 years and more 5,6 6,3 0,7 1,3 236
Women 9,3 9,5 0,2 1,5 1 291
15-24 years 22,1 23,7 1,6 4,8 298
25-49 years 8,7 8,9 0,2 1,3 782
50 years and more 6,2 6,1 -0,1 0,9 211

ILO employment and activity

On average, the activity rate over Q3 2009 in the population aged 15-64 years is 70.4% and the employment rate 64.0%. The full time equivalent employment rate is inferior by 4 points to the employment rate: it stands at 59.6%.

Activity rate, employment rate (15-64 years)

Activity rate, employment rate (15-64 years)

Covers the population of people living in households, people aged 15-64 years

Source: INSEE, Labour Force Survey

ILO employment, unemployment and activity in the population aged 15-64 years
Seasonally adjusted, average over quarter - Metropolitan France
*(p) = provisional results
Covers the population of people living in households in metropolitan France, people aged 15 years or more
Source: INSEE, Labour Force Survey
% of people in the age group Variation in points
2009Q2 2009Q3 (p)* Over a quarter Over a year
Employed people aged 15-64 (= Employment rate) 64,3 64,0 -0,3 -0,7
Full-time equivalent employment rate 60,0 59,6 -0,4 -0,9
Men aged 15-64 68,4 68,0 -0,4 -1,3
Women aged 15-64 60,3 60,1 -0,2 -0,2
15-24 years 28,6 27,5 -1,1 -1,1
25-49 years 82,2 82,2 0,0 -1,2
50-64 years 55,7 55,5 -0,2 0,2
Included : 55-64 years 41,8 42,0 0,2 0,8
Core employment rate of 55-64 years 40,6 41,1 0,5 1,7
Unemployed persons (proportion in the population aged 15-64) 6,4 6,4 0,0 1,2
Men aged 15-64 6,6 6,5 -0,1 1,4
Women aged 15-64 6,2 6,3 0,1 1,1
15-24 years 8,8 8,6 -0,2 1,8
25-49 years 7,3 7,3 0,0 1,4
50-64 years 3,5 3,7 0,2 0,7
Included : 55-64 years 2,8 2,8 0,0 0,7
Active people aged 15-642 (= activity rate) 70,7 70,4 -0,3 0,5
Men aged 15-64 75,1 74,5 -0,6 0,1
Women aged 15-64 66,5 66,4 -0,1 0,9
15-24 years 37,4 36,0 -1,4 0,6
25-49 years 89,5 89,5 0,0 0,2
50-64 years 59,2 59,2 0,0 1,0
Included : 55-64 years 44,6 44,8 0,2 1,5
Active life expectancy of 55-64 years 4,3 4,4 0,1 0,3

Decrease of the slack work during Q3 2009

Among employed people, 5.4% are under-employed during Q3 2009 (–0.3 point), i.e 1 397 000 persons. The variations of the underemployment since the middle of the year 2008 are mainly connected to the variations of the slack work: after rising since the middle 2008, it decreases in the third quarter 2009 and stands at 143 000 persons.

ILO underemployment rate
Seasonally adjusted, average over quarter - Metropolitan France
*(p) = provisional results
Covers the population of people living in households in metropolitan France, people aged 15 years or more
Source: INSEE, Labour Force Survey
ILO underemployment rate (%) Variation in points Thousands
2009Q2 2009Q3 (p)* Over a quarter Over a year 2009Q3 (p)*
Total 5,7 5,4 -0,3 0,7 1 397
Included : slack work 1,0 0,6 -0,4 0,4 143
Women 8,3 8,3 0,0 0,4 1 028
Men 3,1 2,7 -0,4 0,8 369

The unemployment rate in Q2 2009 in metropolitan France is not revised

The ILO unemployment rate of the second quarter 2009 in metropolitan France was not revised compared to the data published September 3, 2009. The unemployment rate in France and overseas departments is revised downward by 0.1 point.

In order to improve the precision of the data on the labor market, INSEE increases gradually the size of the sample of the Labour Force Survey since the first quarter 2009. The operation will be ended by September 2010, when the size of the sample will have been increased by 50%. From the publication of Q3 2009 data, the published results incorporate the progressive extension of the sample. An improvement in the precision of the results of the Labour Force Survey is expected, which would not lead to a significant break of series on the estimated levels.

Informations Rapides

n° 314 - December 3, 2009

ILO Unemployment and Labour Market-related indicators (Labour Force Survey results) - Third Quarter 2009

For further information

Links

Time series data

More: Long time series about the labour market, data on January 2010, in French only

Local data, in French only

Metropolitan France

unemployment by "régions", by "départements", and by employment area

Unemployment in overseas departments

Guadeloupe, La Réunion, Martinique, Guyane

See also

Publications, in French only

Previous methodology

The series published until July 2007: methodology and data (.PDF, 25 KB), in French only

New

Since July 2009, display of the Informations Rapides has changed.