Informations Rapides · 11 February 2025 · n° 34

In Q4 2024, the unemployment rate was virtually stable (7.3%) and the employment rate declined by 0.2 points (68.9%) ILO Unemployment and Labour Market-related indicators (Labour Force Survey results) - fourth quarter 2024

In Q4 2024, the number of unemployed people in France (excluding Mayotte) as defined by the International Labour Office (ILO) decreased by 63,000 over the quarter and reached 2.3 million people. The ILO unemployment rate was virtually stable (-0.1 points) at 7.3% of the labour force, back to its Q2 2024 level. It remained slightly above its lowest level since 1982 (7.1% in Q4 2022 and in Q1 2023) and clearly below its peak level reached in Q2 2015 (-3.2 points).

Over the quarter, the unemployment rate declined for people aged 15 to 24: -0.8 points after +2,0 points the previous quarter, to 19.0%; it stood 1.4 points above its level from a year ago. For people aged 25 to 49, the unemployment rate decreased by 0.1 points over the quarter, to 6.5%, bringing the year-on-year decrease to 0.5 points. Finally, for people aged 50 or more, the unemployment rate edged up very slightly over the quarter: +0.1 points after -0.3 points; at 4.8%, it stood 0.3 points below its level from a year ago.

Over the quarter, the women’s unemployment rate was virtually stable (-0.1 points), at 7.1%, while the men’s unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 points, to 7.5%.

Among the inactive people as defined by the ILO, 2.0 million wanted a job without being considered unemployed, because they either did not seek a job or were not immediately available: they made up the halo around unemployment. This number rose sharply over the quarter (+138,000) and over the year (+93,000). The increase in the halo over the quarter was mainly the result of transitions from inactivity excluding halo.

Thus, the share of halo in the population of people aged 15 to 64 rose by 0.3 points over the quarter, to 4.6%, after a decrease by 0.2 points the previous quarter. It stood 0.2 points above its level from a year ago. Over the quarter and over the year, the halo around unemployment increased mainly among young people. The share of halo for people aged 15 to 24 rebounded over the quarter (+1.2 points after -0.7 points); at 7.9%, it stood 1.0 point above its level from a year ago and at its highest since INSEE started measuring it on a quarterly basis (2003). This increase was mainly driven by young people still in education. Among people aged 25 to 49, the share of halo rose by 0.2 points over the quarter and by 0.1 points over the year, to 4.6%. Finally, for people aged 50 to 64, this share was stable over the quarter and virtually stable over the year (-0.1 points), at 2.8%.

Among the unemployed, 542,000 people on average declared being jobless and having been job seeking for at least one year in Q4 2024. This number increased by 8,000 over the quarter. The long-term unemployment rate was therefore stable over the quarter and virtually stable over the year (-0.1 points), at 1.7% of the labour force. It remained 0.5 points below its level at the end of 2019.

On average, in Q4 2024, the employment rate of people aged 15 to 64 declined by 0.2 points over the quarter, to 68.9%. It remained 0.4 points above its level from a year ago.

For people aged 15 to 24, the employment rate fell again, by 0.7 points, to 33.7%, bringing the year-on-year decrease to 1.6 points. The decline in employment for young people over the past two quarters followed a period of strong growth between 2019 and 2023, driven in particular by the sharp rise in apprenticeships. In Q4 2024, the employment rate for young people thus remained clearly above its pre-crisis level (+3.9 points compared to its Q4 2019 level). For people aged 25 to 49, it was virtually stable over the quarter (-0.1 points), at 82.8%, that is 0.4 points above its level at the end of 2023. Finally, for people aged 50 to 64, the employment rate was stable over the quarter, at 68.8%: it stood 1.6 points above its level from a year ago and at its highest since INSEE started measuring it (1975). In particular, the employment rate for people aged 55 to 64 increased by 0.1 points over the quarter and by 2.0 points over the year, to 60.9%.

In Q4 2024, the full-time employment rate decreased by 0.2 points over the quarter, to 57.3%, but remained 0.2 points above its level from a year ago. The part-time employment rate was stable over the quarter, to 11.6%, and increased by 0.2 points over the year. As a result, the share of part-time employment in total employment was stable over the quarter, at 17.6%. This share stood very slightly above its Q4 2023 level (+0.1 points) but 1.2 points below its level at the end of 2019.

In Q4 2024, 4.4% of employed people were underemployed. This share was virtually stable over the quarter (+0.1 points) and over the year (-0.1 points) and stood 1.5 points below its level at the end of 2019.

On average, in Q4 2024, 16.6% of participants in the labour market (active people or in the halo around unemployment) were constrained in their labour supply, either by the absence of a job (unemployed or halo around unemployment), or in a situation of underemployment. This share increased by 0.3 points over the quarter and by 0.1 points over the year but remained clearly below its level at the end of 2019 (-2.3 points).

In Q4 2024, the average number of hours worked per job was stable over the quarter at 31.1 hours per week (adjusted for seasonal variations and calendar effects). It stood barely below its level from a year ago (31.2 hours per week in Q4 2023). Since mid-2022, the number of hours worked has stabilised at a level similar to that before the health crisis (31.3 hours in Q4 2019).

The permanent employment rate for people aged 15 to 64 decreased by 0.3 points over the quarter, to 50.8%, but stood almost at its level from a year ago (+0.1 points). The employment rate on fixed-term contract or temporary work was virtually stable (-0.1 points) over the quarter and over the year, at 6.5%. The self-employment rate increased by 0.1 points, to 8.9%, bringing the year-on-year rise to 0.5 points. The work-study employment rate rebounded by 0.1 points over the quarter, to 2.4%, back to its level at the end of 2023.

The activity rate of people aged 15 to 64 fell back by 0.3 points over the quarter, to 74.4%, after +2,0 points the previous quarter. It stood 0.2 points above its level from a year ago and 1.6 points above its level at the end of 2019.

Over the quarter, the activity rate for young people fell by 1.5 points, to 41.5%, after reaching its highest level the previous quarter. It stood 1.3 points below its level from a year ago and at its lowest since early 2022. For people aged 25 to 49, it decreased by 0.2 points over the quarter, to 88.6%, back to its level from a year ago. Finally, for people aged 50 to 64, it was stable over the quarter, at 72.3%, that is 1.4 points above its level at the end of 2023.

In Q4 2024, the share of young people aged 15 to 29 neither in employment nor in education or training (NEET) rose by 0.7 points, to 12.8%, after a decrease by 0.4 points the previous quarter. This share stood 0.5 points above its level from a year ago and 0.6 points above its level at the end of 2019. The rise over the quarter was explained by the sharp decline in employment in this age group, which was not offset by the increase in the proportion of young people in training.

Compared to the first estimate published on 13 November 2024, the ILO unemployment rate in Q3 2024 remained unchanged at 7.4%. The employment rate for people aged 15 to 64 also remained unchanged at 69.1% while the activity rate has been revised downwards by 0.1 points to 74.7%. This adjustment is due to the usual updating of seasonal adjustment coefficients.