16 May 2019
2019- n° 127The unemployment rate decreased by 0,1 points in Q1 2019 ILO Unemployment and Labour Market-related indicators (Labour Force Survey results)
- first quarter 2019
On average in Q1 2019, the average ILO unemployment rate decreased by 0,1 points after a 0.3 points fall in the last quarter. It stood at 8.7% of the labour force in metropolitan France and the overseas departments (excluding Mayotte), 0.5 points below its early 2018 level and its lowest level since 2009.
- The unemployment rate in France stood at 8.7% of active population at the beginning of 2019
- Long-term unemployment decreased by 0,3 points over a year
- Halo of unemployment fell sharply
- The young person’s employment rate fell
- Over a year, full-time employment advanced, part-time employment remained stable
- Underemployment declined sharply
- The youths’ activity rate decreased
- Revisions
- For more information
The unemployment rate in France stood at 8.7% of active population at the beginning of 2019
On average in Q1 2019, the average ILO unemployment rate decreased by 0,1 points after a 0.3 points fall in the last quarter. It stood at 8.7% of the labour force in metropolitan France and the overseas departments (excluding Mayotte), 0.5 points below its early 2018 level and its lowest level since 2009.
In metropolitan France, the number of unemployed decreased by 19,000 over a quarter to 2.4 million people; the unemployment rate declined by 0.1 points, at 8.4 % of the labour force. The unemployment rate increased among young men (+2.1 points) whereas it decreased among young women (–1.4 points). It diminished for persons aged 25 to 49 (–0.2 points) and rose for those aged 50 and over.
Over a year, the unemployment rate in metropolitan France decreased by 0.5 points, but fell markedly among youth (–1.7 points), in particular among young women (–3.9 points).
Long-term unemployment decreased by 0,3 points over a year
Among the unemployed, 963 thousands declared that they had been seeking a job for at least one year. The long-term unemployment rate stood at 3.3% of the labour force in Q1 2019. This rate was virtually stable over a quarter and decreased by 0.3 points over a year.
tableauILO-unemployment rate
France (excl. Mayotte) | Metropolitan France | |
---|---|---|
2003-Q1 | 8.3 | 8.0 |
2003-Q2 | 8.5 | 8.1 |
2003-Q3 | 8.4 | 8.0 |
2003-Q4 | 8.8 | 8.4 |
2004-Q1 | 9.0 | 8.6 |
2004-Q2 | 8.8 | 8.4 |
2004-Q3 | 8.9 | 8.5 |
2004-Q4 | 8.9 | 8.5 |
2005-Q1 | 8.7 | 8.3 |
2005-Q2 | 8.8 | 8.4 |
2005-Q3 | 9.0 | 8.6 |
2005-Q4 | 9.0 | 8.7 |
2006-Q1 | 9.1 | 8.7 |
2006-Q2 | 8.9 | 8.6 |
2006-Q3 | 8.8 | 8.5 |
2006-Q4 | 8.4 | 8.0 |
2007-Q1 | 8.4 | 8.1 |
2007-Q2 | 8.1 | 7.8 |
2007-Q3 | 7.9 | 7.6 |
2007-Q4 | 7.5 | 7.1 |
2008-Q1 | 7.2 | 6.8 |
2008-Q2 | 7.3 | 7.0 |
2008-Q3 | 7.4 | 7.1 |
2008-Q4 | 7.8 | 7.4 |
2009-Q1 | 8.6 | 8.2 |
2009-Q2 | 9.2 | 8.8 |
2009-Q3 | 9.2 | 8.8 |
2009-Q4 | 9.5 | 9.1 |
2010-Q1 | 9.4 | 9.0 |
2010-Q2 | 9.3 | 8.9 |
2010-Q3 | 9.2 | 8.8 |
2010-Q4 | 9.2 | 8.8 |
2011-Q1 | 9.1 | 8.8 |
2011-Q2 | 9.1 | 8.7 |
2011-Q3 | 9.2 | 8.8 |
2011-Q4 | 9.3 | 9.0 |
2012-Q1 | 9.5 | 9.1 |
2012-Q2 | 9.7 | 9.3 |
2012-Q3 | 9.8 | 9.4 |
2012-Q4 | 10.1 | 9.7 |
2013-Q1 | 10.3 | 9.9 |
2013-Q2 | 10.4 | 10.1 |
2013-Q3 | 10.3 | 9.9 |
2013-Q4 | 10.1 | 9.8 |
2014-Q1 | 10.2 | 9.8 |
2014-Q2 | 10.2 | 9.8 |
2014-Q3 | 10.3 | 10.0 |
2014-Q4 | 10.4 | 10.1 |
2015-Q1 | 10.3 | 10.0 |
2015-Q2 | 10.5 | 10.2 |
2015-Q3 | 10.4 | 10.1 |
2015-Q4 | 10.2 | 9.9 |
2016-Q1 | 10.2 | 9.9 |
2016-Q2 | 10.0 | 9.7 |
2016-Q3 | 10.0 | 9.7 |
2016-Q4 | 10.0 | 9.7 |
2017-Q1 | 9.6 | 9.3 |
2017-Q2 | 9.5 | 9.1 |
2017-Q3 | 9.6 | 9.3 |
2017-Q4 | 8.9 | 8.6 |
2018-Q1 | 9.2 | 8.9 |
2018-Q2 | 9.1 | 8.8 |
2018-Q3 | 9.1 | 8.8 |
2018-Q4 | 8.8 | 8.5 |
2019-Q1 | 8.7 | 8.4 |
- Estimation within +/-0.3 point of the level of unemployment rate and of its quarterly variations.
graphiqueILO-unemployment rate

- Estimation within +/-0.3 point of the level of unemployment rate and of its quarterly variations.
- Scope: population of people living in households, people aged 15 years or more.
- Source: INSEE, Labour Force Survey.
tableauILO-unemployment rate in metropolitan France
ILO-unemployment rate (%) | Variation in points over | Thousands | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018Q4 | 2019Q1 (p) | quarter | year | 2019Q1 (p) | |
Unemployed persons | 8.5 | 8.4 | -0.1 | -0.5 | 2,441 |
15-24 years | 18.8 | 19.2 | 0.4 | -1.7 | 540 |
25-49 years | 7.9 | 7.7 | -0.2 | -0.7 | 1,348 |
50 years and more | 6.1 | 6.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 554 |
Men | 8.4 | 8.4 | 0.0 | -0.4 | 1,255 |
15-24 years | 18.7 | 20.8 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 317 |
25-49 years | 7.8 | 7.4 | -0.4 | -0.5 | 663 |
50 years and more | 6.0 | 6.2 | 0.2 | -0.4 | 275 |
Women | 8.5 | 8.4 | -0.1 | -0.6 | 1,187 |
15-24 years | 18.8 | 17.4 | -1.4 | -3.9 | 223 |
25-49 years | 8.1 | 8.0 | -0.1 | -0.8 | 684 |
50 years and more | 6.2 | 6.6 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 279 |
Long-term unemployed persons | 3.4 | 3.3 | -0.1 | -0.3 | 963 |
- (p) = provisional results
- Scope : population of people living in households, people aged 15 years or more in metropolitan France
- Source: INSEE, Labour Force Survey
Halo of unemployment fell sharply
In metropolitan France, among inactive people as defined by the ILO, 1.4 million persons wished to work without being considered as unemployed according to the ILO definition: they made up the halo of unemployment. Their number diminished by 80,000 over a quarter and fell similarly over a year (–89 000).
tableauPeople in the halo of unemployment
People in the halo of unemployment | |
---|---|
2003-Q1 | 1165 |
2003-Q2 | 1115 |
2003-Q3 | 1197 |
2003-Q4 | 1200 |
2004-Q1 | 1215 |
2004-Q2 | 1229 |
2004-Q3 | 1236 |
2004-Q4 | 1207 |
2005-Q1 | 1184 |
2005-Q2 | 1186 |
2005-Q3 | 1162 |
2005-Q4 | 1165 |
2006-Q1 | 1191 |
2006-Q2 | 1194 |
2006-Q3 | 1180 |
2006-Q4 | 1240 |
2007-Q1 | 1174 |
2007-Q2 | 1192 |
2007-Q3 | 1122 |
2007-Q4 | 1130 |
2008-Q1 | 1152 |
2008-Q2 | 1118 |
2008-Q3 | 1153 |
2008-Q4 | 1136 |
2009-Q1 | 1175 |
2009-Q2 | 1199 |
2009-Q3 | 1228 |
2009-Q4 | 1253 |
2010-Q1 | 1220 |
2010-Q2 | 1248 |
2010-Q3 | 1232 |
2010-Q4 | 1217 |
2011-Q1 | 1271 |
2011-Q2 | 1291 |
2011-Q3 | 1301 |
2011-Q4 | 1298 |
2012-Q1 | 1287 |
2012-Q2 | 1261 |
2012-Q3 | 1307 |
2012-Q4 | 1288 |
2013-Q1 | 1261 |
2013-Q2 | 1275 |
2013-Q3 | 1308 |
2013-Q4 | 1331 |
2014-Q1 | 1373 |
2014-Q2 | 1332 |
2014-Q3 | 1411 |
2014-Q4 | 1411 |
2015-Q1 | 1468 |
2015-Q2 | 1438 |
2015-Q3 | 1403 |
2015-Q4 | 1405 |
2016-Q1 | 1439 |
2016-Q2 | 1480 |
2016-Q3 | 1478 |
2016-Q4 | 1465 |
2017-Q1 | 1496 |
2017-Q2 | 1485 |
2017-Q3 | 1420 |
2017-Q4 | 1477 |
2018-Q1 | 1489 |
2018-Q2 | 1461 |
2018-Q3 | 1469 |
2018-Q4 | 1480 |
2019-Q1 | 1400 |
graphiquePeople in the halo of unemployment

- Scope: population of people living in households in metropolitan France, people aged 15 years or over.
- Source: INSEE, Labour Force Survey.
The young person’s employment rate fell
The employment rate of the population aged 15-64 years was stable in Q1 2019. It stood at 66.1%, its highest level since the early 1980s, and 0.3 percentage points above its early 2018 level. Over the quarter, the employment rate among persons aged 25 to 49 was slightly up (+0.2 points), that among persons aged 50 to 64 remained virtually stable. At the opposite, the employment rate among youth sharply decreased (–0,4 points).
tableauILO employment rate in the population aged 15-64 years
% of people in the age group | Variation in over | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
2018Q4 | 2019Q1 (p) | quarter | year | |
Employed people | 66.1 | 66.1 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
by sex | ||||
Men | 69.5 | 69.4 | -0.1 | 0.0 |
Women | 62.8 | 62.9 | 0.1 | 0.7 |
by age | ||||
15-24 years | 31.1 | 30.7 | -0.4 | 0.8 |
25-49 years | 81.3 | 81.5 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
50-64 years | 62.5 | 62.6 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
Included : 55-64 years | 52.7 | 52.7 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
by type of employment contract | ||||
Permanent employment | 49.5 | 49.5 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
Fixed-term and temporary employment | 7.7 | 7.6 | -0.1 | -0.4 |
by contractual working time | ||||
Full-time employment | 54.4 | 54.5 | 0.1 | 0.6 |
Part-time employment | 11.7 | 11.7 | 0.0 | -0.1 |
Full-time equivalent employment rate | 61.3 | 61.4 | 0.1 | 0.5 |
- (p) = provisional results
- Scope: population of people living in households in metropolitan France, people aged 15-64 years
- Source: INSEE, Labour Force Survey
Over a year, full-time employment advanced, part-time employment remained stable
Full-time employment rate stood at 54.5% in Q1 2019. It was virtually stable (+0.1 points) over a quarter and advanced by 0.6 points over a year, reaching its highest level since 2003 (beginning of the quarterly series). Part-time employment rate was stable at 11.7%.
Underemployment declined sharply
In Q1 2019, 5.3% of the employed persons were underemployed. It mainly concerns people having a part-time job and wishing to work more. This share decreased by 0.4 points over a quarter and 0,8 points over a year.
tableauILO underemployment rate
ILO underemployment rate | |
---|---|
2003-Q1 | 4.8 |
2003-Q2 | 4.8 |
2003-Q3 | 4.9 |
2003-Q4 | 5.3 |
2004-Q1 | 5.2 |
2004-Q2 | 5.2 |
2004-Q3 | 5.3 |
2004-Q4 | 5.2 |
2005-Q1 | 5.4 |
2005-Q2 | 5.2 |
2005-Q3 | 5.2 |
2005-Q4 | 5.2 |
2006-Q1 | 5.1 |
2006-Q2 | 5.1 |
2006-Q3 | 5.5 |
2006-Q4 | 5.3 |
2007-Q1 | 5.5 |
2007-Q2 | 5.5 |
2007-Q3 | 5.7 |
2007-Q4 | 5.6 |
2008-Q1 | 5.4 |
2008-Q2 | 5.7 |
2008-Q3 | 5.6 |
2008-Q4 | 6.0 |
2009-Q1 | 6.2 |
2009-Q2 | 6.5 |
2009-Q3 | 6.7 |
2009-Q4 | 6.6 |
2010-Q1 | 6.8 |
2010-Q2 | 6.5 |
2010-Q3 | 6.5 |
2010-Q4 | 6.9 |
2011-Q1 | 5.7 |
2011-Q2 | 6.0 |
2011-Q3 | 6.2 |
2011-Q4 | 6.1 |
2012-Q1 | 6.1 |
2012-Q2 | 6.2 |
2012-Q3 | 6.0 |
2012-Q4 | 6.2 |
2013-Q1 | 6.6 |
2013-Q2 | 6.5 |
2013-Q3 | 6.4 |
2013-Q4 | 6.4 |
2014-Q1 | 6.4 |
2014-Q2 | 6.3 |
2014-Q3 | 6.4 |
2014-Q4 | 6.6 |
2015-Q1 | 6.6 |
2015-Q2 | 6.5 |
2015-Q3 | 6.7 |
2015-Q4 | 6.6 |
2016-Q1 | 6.4 |
2016-Q2 | 6.6 |
2016-Q3 | 6.3 |
2016-Q4 | 6.2 |
2017-Q1 | 6.2 |
2017-Q2 | 6.1 |
2017-Q3 | 6.2 |
2017-Q4 | 5.6 |
2018-Q1 | 6.1 |
2018-Q2 | 5.8 |
2018-Q3 | 5.6 |
2018-Q4 | 5.7 |
2019-Q1 | 5.3 |
graphiqueILO underemployment rate

- Scope: population of people living in households in metropolitan France, people aged 15-64 years.
- Source: INSEE, Labour Force Survey.
The youths’ activity rate decreased
The activity rate of people aged 15-64 was stable over a quarter and over a year, at 72.3%. Quarter-on-quarter, it decreased among youths (–0,3 points), was stable for middle-age people and increased among persons aged 50 to 64 (+0.3 points), in particular among men (+0,8 points). It was stable among persons aged 55 to 64 (+0,1 points) over a quarter and sharply increased year-on-year (+0.7 points).
tableauILO activity rate in the population aged 15-64 years
% of people in the age group | Variation in points over | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
2018Q4 | 2019Q1 (p) | quarter | year | |
Active people | 72.3 | 72.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
by sex | ||||
Men | 75.9 | 75.9 | 0.0 | -0.3 |
Women | 68.7 | 68.8 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
by age | ||||
15-24 years | 38.3 | 38.0 | -0.3 | 0.2 |
25-49 years | 88.3 | 88.3 | 0.0 | -0.2 |
50-64 years | 66.7 | 67.0 | 0.3 | 0.4 |
Included : 55-64 years | 56.5 | 56.6 | 0.1 | 0.7 |
- (p) = provisional results
- Scope: population of people living in households in metropolitan France, people aged 15-64 years
- Source: INSEE, Labour Force Survey
Revisions
Compared to the provisional estimate published on 14 February 2019, ILO unemployment rate in Q4 2018 stays unchanged. For Q2 2018, it has been upgraded by 0.1 points in metropolitan France (from 8.7% to 8.8%), due to seasonal adjustment coefficients recalculation.
For more information
An unemployed person according to the International Labour Office (ILO) is someone of working age (15 years or more) who did not work, even one hour, during the reference week, is available to work within two weeks and looked actively for a job in the previous month (or has found a job begining in less than three months).
Next issue: 14 August 2019 at 07.30 am