Unemployment rate in France Q1 2021, by region

During the first quarter of 2021 the Hauts-de-France region, the northernmost region of France, and the Occitanie region, had the highest unemployment rate among all metropolitan French regions. Over there the unemployment rate reached 9.4 percent, compared to 6.6 percent in Bretagne. On a national level, France had an unemployment rate of 8.62 percent in 2020, a number which has been declining overall in recent years.

Unemployment: an important issue of the economy of France

France has been struggling with unemployment since the end of the 2000’s and the beginning of the 2008 financial crisis. The unemployment rate in the country reached a record level in 2015, when it amounted to nearly 10.4 percent. However, the situation of employment in France has shown signs of recovery since then. Youth unemployment in the country, which is one of the highest in Europe, is finally decreasing. In the meantime, long-term unemployment in France has not yet regained its pre-2008 levels, but stood at 2.9 percent in 2020, a decreased by 0.5 points since the previous year.

Being unemployed in France

Unemployment does not affect the population in the same way. As displayed by this figure, the northern part of France, that used to be a mining center, was more impacted by the phenomenon. Workers, contrary to the more qualified socio-professional categories, were also more affected by unemployment, as well as women who are usually more unemployed than men in France, regardless of their nationality.