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The unemployment rate rose in Q4 2009

The unemployment rate

The unemployment rate increased in Q4 2009

The average ILO unemployment rate in Q4 2009 in metropolitan France and overseas departments reached 10.0% of the active population.

In metropolitan France only, 9.6% of the active population was unemployed, i.e. 2.7 million people. It has increased by 0.5 point compared to Q3 2009. The last time this rate was reached was at the end of 1999.

More generally, in metropolitan France, 3.4 million people did 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 point Thousands
2009Q3 2009Q4 (p)* over quarter over year 2009Q4 (p)*
Total 9,1 9,6 0,5 1,8 2 727
15-24 years 23,7 24,0 0,3 3,4 646
25-49 years 8,2 8,7 0,5 1,7 1 596
50 years and more 6,2 6,7 0,5 1,6 486
Men 8,8 9,6 0,8 2,2 1 431
15-24 years 23,9 25,3 1,4 3,9 380
25-49 years 7,5 8,4 0,9 2,3 803
50 years and more 6,2 6,6 0,4 1,7 249
Women 9,6 9,6 0,0 1,2 1 297
15-24 years 23,5 22,3 –1,2 2,6 266
25-49 years 8,9 9,0 0,1 1,0 793
50 years and more 6,1 6,7 0,6 1,4 237

ILO employment and activity

The employment rate of the population aged 15-64 years has been decreasing since mid–2008. At first, only part-time employment decreased; but, since the beginning of 2009, full-time employment is decreasing as part-time employment is increasing. Over Q4 2009, the employment rate of the 15-64 years was 63.7%: 52.5% of the 15-64 years were full-time employed, and 11.2% were part-time employed.

Full-time and part-time employment rate (15-64 years)

Full-time and part-time employment rate (15-64 years)

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

Source: INSEE, Labour Force Survey

The full time equivalent employment rate was inferior by 4 points to the employment rate: it stood at 59.2% on average in Q4 2009.

The activity rate of the 15-64 years was 70.5%.

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
(1) those data cover the people who are 15-64 years old. They are a little bit different of the data in table 1 (which covers the total population).
Source: INSEE, Labour Force Survey
% of people in the age group Variation in point Thousands (1)
2009Q3 2009 Q4 (p)* Over a quarter Over a year 2009Q4 (p)*
Employed people (15-64 years) 63,9 63,7 –0,2 –1,0 25 453
Full-time equivalent employment rate 59,5 59,2 –0,3 –1,3 23 675
Men aged 15-64 68,0 67,9 –0,1 –1,6 13 340
Women aged 15-64 59,9 59,7 –0,2 –0,5 12 113
15-24 years 27,6 27,4 –0,2 –1,1 2 047
25-49 years 82,0 81,9 –0,1 –1,4 16 768
50-64 years 55,4 55,2 –0,2 –0,3 6 638
Included : 55-64 years 41,8 42,0 0,2 0,3 3 317
Core employment rate of 55-64 years 40,9 41,3 0,4 1,0
Unemployed persons (15-64 years) 6,4 6,8 0,4 1,3 2 719
Men aged 15-64 6,6 7,3 0,7 1,8 1 426
Women aged 15-64 6,3 6,4 0,1 0,9 1 292
15-24 years 8,6 8,6 0,0 1,2 646
25-49 years 7,3 7,8 0,5 1,5 1 596
50-64 years 3,6 4,0 0,4 1,1 477
Included : 55-64 years 2,8 3,2 0,4 0,9 249
Active people (15-64 years) 70,3 70,5 0,2 0,2 28 172
Men aged 15-64 74,5 75,1 0,6 0,1 14 766
Women aged 15-64 66,2 66,0 –0,2 0,3 13 405
15-24 years 36,2 36,1 –0,1 0,1 2 693
25-49 years 89,3 89,7 0,4 0,1 18 364
50-64 years 59,0 59,2 0,2 0,7 7 115
Included : 55-64 years 44,6 45,2 0,6 1,2 3 565
Active life expectancy of 55-64 years (years) 4,4 4,4 0,0 0,2

Underemployment was stable in Q4 2009

The part of underemployment among employed people has been increasing for a year, but was stable at 5.5% on Q4 2009 (1.4 million people). The variations of underemployment are, since mid–2008, due to the variation of the slack work, which was stable on Q4 2009 at 144 000.

ILO underemployment
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 point Thousands
2009 Q3 2009 Q4 (p)* Over a quarter Over a year 2009Q4 (p)*
Total 5,5 5,5 0,0 0,5 1 412
Included : slack work 0,6 0,6 0,0 0,2 144
Women 8,4 8,5 0,1 0,7 1 009
Men 2,7 3,1 0,4 0,3 403

The unemployment rate in Q3 2009 is not revised

The ILO unemployment rate of the third quarter 2009 was not revised compared to the data published December 3, 2009.

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, 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° 65 - March 4, 2010

ILO Unemployment and Labour Market-related indicators (Labour Force Survey results) - 4th 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.