13 February 2020

2020- n° 36

The unemployment rate fell from 8.5 % to 8.1 % in Q4 2019 ILO Unemployment and Labour Market-related indicators (Labour Force Survey results) - fourth quarter 2019

The number of unemployed decreased by 85,000 over a quarter to 2.4 million people. Thus the ILO unemployment rate sharply declined : after a slight 0.1 point increase in the previous quarter, it fell from 8,5 % to 8,1 % of the labour force in France (excluding Mayotte). It was 0.7 points below its Q4 2018 level and reached its lowest level since the end of 2008. In metropolitan France, it stood at 7.9 %.

The unemployment rate diminished significantly among persons aged 25 to 49 (–0.5 points) and those aged 50 and over (–0.5 points). Within the former age group, it fell more sharly among women (–0,7 points) than among men (–0.3 points). However, the unemployment rate increased among youths (+0.7 points), especially young women (+1.1 points).

Over a year, the decline in the unemployment rate was more pronounced among women (–0.8 points) than men (–0.4 points).

Among the unemployed, 1,0 million declared that they had been seeking a job for at least one year. The long-term unemployment rate stood at 3.2% of the labour force in Q4 2019. It decreased by 0.2 points over a quarter and 0,4 points over a year.

Among inactive people as defined by the ILO, 1.7 million persons wished to work without being considered as unemployed according to the ILO definition: they made up the halo of unemployment. Their number increased by 59,000 over a quarter and reached the highest level since 2003. Thus the share of halo in the 15-64 years old population rose by 0.1 points quarter on quarter (+0.2 points year on year) ; to 4,0 %, its highest level since 2003.

The employment rate of the population aged 15-64 years rose by 0.7 points in Q4 2019, after a 0.3 point decline in the previous quarter. It stood at 65.9%, 0.4 points above its level reached a year before. It was virtually stable (+0.1 points) among youths while sharply rising among people aged 50 to 64 (+1.1 points) and middle-aged people (+0,8 points).

Over a year the employment rate decreased by 0.8 points for youths whereas it increased for people aged 25 to 49 (+0.7 points) and 50 to 64 (+1.0 points). Among the latter, the unemployment rate increased even more for people aged 55 to 64 (+1.2 points).

Full-time employment rate stood at 54.3% in Q4 2019. It increased by 0.4 points over a quarter and over a year. Part-time employment rate advanced by 0.3 points, to 11.6 %. It returned to the level reached a year earlier.

In Q4 2019, 5.3% of the employed persons were underemployed. It mainly concerns people working part-time and wishing to work more. This share was virtually stable (–0.1 points) over a quarter but declined sharply over a year (–0.5 points).

The activity rate of people aged 15-64 went up by 0.4 points over a quarter, to 71.8 %, after a slight decrease in the previous quarter (–0.2 points). It was virtually stable (–0.1 points) over a year. Quarter on quarter, it recovered among youths (+0.5 points), middle-aged persons (+0.4 points), and persons aged 50 to 64 (+0.7  points). The rise in activity rate among those aged 55 to 64 was particularly pronounced over a quarter (+0.9  points) and over a year (+1.0 points).

Compared to the first estimate published on 14 November 2019, ILO unemployment rate in Q3 2019 has been lowered by 0.1 points, at 8.5 %, It is mainly due to an update of seasonal adjustment coefficients. One-time revisions of the unemployment rate limited to +/– 0.1 points for previous quarters are mainly due to weight revisions over the 2015-2019 period (calibration on new population margins).