17 November 2016
2016- n° 300The unemployment rate increased by 0.1 points in Q3 2016 ILO Unemployment and Labour Market-related indicators (Labour Force Survey results)
- third quarter 2016
In Q3 2016, the average ILO unemployment rate in metropolitan France and overseas departments stood at 10.0% of active population, after 9.9% in Q2 2016.
In metropolitan France only, the number of unemployed increased by 31,000 to 2.8 million people unemployed; thus, the unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points q-o-q, standing at 9.7% of active population. It increased among youths and persons aged 50 and over, whereas it decreased for men aged 25 to 49. Over a year, the unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage points.
Among unemployed, 1.2 million were seeking a job for at least one year. The long-term unemployed rate stood at 4.3% of active population in Q3 2016, as in the previous quarter and a year earlier.
The unemployment rate increased by 0.1 points compared to Q2 2016
In Q3 2016, the average ILO unemployment rate in metropolitan France and overseas departments stood at 10.0% of active population, after 9.9% in Q2 2016.
In metropolitan France only, the number of unemployed increased by 31,000 to 2.8 million people unemployed; thus, the unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points q-o-q, standing at 9.7% of active population. It increased among youths and persons aged 50 and over, whereas it decreased for men aged 25 to 49. Over a year, the unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage points.
Among unemployed, 1.2 million were seeking a job for at least one year. The long-term unemployed rate stood at 4.3% of active population in Q3 2016, as in the previous quarter and a year earlier.
graphiqueGraph1 – ILO-unemployment rate

- Estimation within +/-0.3 points of the level of unemployment rate and of its quarterly variations
- Scope : population of people living in households, people aged 15 years or more
tableauTable1 – ILO-unemployment rate in metropolitan France
ILO-unemployment rate (%) | Variation in points | Thousands | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016Q2 | 2016Q3 (p) | over quarter | over year | 2016Q3 (p) | |
Unemployed persons | 9.6 | 9.7 | 0.1 | -0.4 | 2,805 |
15-24 years | 23.9 | 25.1 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 667 |
25-49 years | 8.9 | 8.7 | -0.2 | -0.8 | 1,546 |
50 years and more | 6.5 | 7.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 592 |
Men | 9.9 | 9.7 | -0.2 | -1.0 | 1,453 |
15-24 years | 24.2 | 25.0 | 0.8 | -0.5 | 358 |
25-49 years | 9.1 | 8.4 | -0.7 | -1.3 | 776 |
50 years and more | 6.9 | 7.5 | 0.6 | -0.3 | 319 |
Women | 9.3 | 9.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1,353 |
15-24 years | 23.5 | 25.3 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 310 |
25-49 years | 8.8 | 9.0 | 0.2 | -0.2 | 770 |
50 years and more | 6.1 | 6.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 273 |
Long-term unemployed persons | 4.3 | 4.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1,241 |
- (p) = provisional results
- Scope : population of people living in households, people aged 15 years or more in metropolitan France
- Source: INSEE, Labour Force Survey
In metropolitan France, among inactive people, 1.5 million persons wished to work without being considered as unemployed according to the ILO definition: they made up the halo around unemployment. In Q3 2016, the number of people in this unemployment halo decreased by 26,000 q-o-q. Over a year, it rose by 70,000.
graphiqueGraph2 – People in the unemployment halo

- Scope : population of people living in households in metropolitan France, people aged 15 years or over
- Source: INSEE, Labour Force Survey
The employment rate decreased slightly in Q3 2016
The employment rate of the population aged 15-64 years stood at 64.6% in Q3 2016. It fell by 0.1 percentage points compared to previous quarter: it decreased among youths whereas it increased slightly for other age groups. Over a year, the employment rate rose by 0.2 percentage points.
The full-time-equivalent employment rate was stable in Q3 2016, at 59.9%.
Slight decrease in the part-time employment rate
Full-time employment rate stood at 53.0% in Q3 2016. It increased by 0.2 percentage points compared to Q2 2016, and by 0.4 percentage points year-on-year. Part-time employment rate decreased by 0.1 percentage points from the previous quarter, standing at 11.7% in Q3 2016. It decreased for women but remained much higher for women (18.1%) than for men (5.0%).
Permanent employment rate for people aged 15-64 stood at 48.5% in Q3 2016. It decreased by 0.3 percentage points q-o-q and by 0.1 percentage points year-on-year. Fixed-term and temporary employment rate stood at 7.4%, as in previous quarter and in Q3 2015.
tableauTable2 – ILO employment rate in the population aged 15-64 years
% of people in the age group | Variation in points over | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
2016Q2 | 2016Q3 (p) | quarter | year | |
Employed people | 64.7 | 64.6 | –0.1 | 0.2 |
Men | 68.0 | 68.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 |
Women | 61.5 | 61.3 | –0.2 | 0.0 |
15-24 years | 28.5 | 27.5 | –1.0 | –0.8 |
25-49 years | 80.2 | 80.4 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
50-64 years | 60.5 | 60.7 | 0.2 | 0.8 |
Included : 55-64 years | 49.6 | 50.1 | 0.5 | 1.1 |
Permanent employment | 48.8 | 48.5 | –0.3 | –0.1 |
Fixed-term and temporary employment | 7.4 | 7.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Full-time employment | 52.8 | 53.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
Part-time employment | 11.8 | 11.7 | –0.1 | –0.1 |
Full-time equivalent employment rate | 59.9 | 59.9 | 0.0 | 0.4 |
- (p) = provisional results
- Scope : population of people living in households in metropolitan France, people aged 15-64 years
- Source: INSEE, Labour Force Survey
graphiqueGraph3 – Part-time employment rate by sex

- Scope : population of people living in households in metropolitan France, people aged 15-64 years
- Source: INSEE, Labour Force Survey
Underemployment decreased
In Q3 2016, 6.3% of the employed persons were underemployed, a ratio decreasing by 0.4 percentage points over the quarter. Underemployment mainly concerns people who have a part-time job and wish to work more. Slack work stood at 0.3% of the employed (−0.2 percentage points q-o-q).
The activity rate increased by 0.1 percentage points compared to Q2 2016
The activity rate of people aged 15-64 increased by 0.1 percentage points quarter-on-quarter, standing at 71.7% in Q3 2016, which was its Q3 2015 level.
tableauTable3 – ILO activity rate in the population aged 15-64 years
% of people in the age group | Variation in points over | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
2016Q2 | 2016Q3 (p) | quarter | year | |
Active people | 71.6 | 71.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
Men | 75.5 | 75.5 | 0.0 | –0.2 |
Women | 67.8 | 68.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
15-24 years | 37.5 | 36.7 | –0.8 | –0.7 |
25-49 years | 88.1 | 88.1 | 0.0 | –0.2 |
50-64 years | 64.8 | 65.3 | 0.5 | 0.8 |
Included : 55-64 years | 53.3 | 54.0 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
- (p) = provisional results
- Scope : population of people living in households in metropolitan France, people aged 15-64 years
- Source: INSEE, Labour Force Survey
Revisions
The ILO unemployment rate in Q2 2016 remains unchanged, compared to the provisional estimate published on 18 August 2016.