The unemployment rate in France climbed to 7.9% in Q4 2025, above the expected 7.8% and up from 7.7% in the previous quarter. This marks its highest level since Q3 2021, as the number of unemployed increased by 56,000 to 2.5 million, 0.6 points higher than a year earlier but still 2.6 points below its 2015 peak. By age, unemployment among 15–24-year-olds surged 2.4 points to 21.5%, rose 0.5 points to 16.0% for those aged 15–29, fell 0.2 points to 6.9% for 25–49-year-olds, and remained stable at 5.1% for those aged 50 and over. Female unemployment declined 0.1 points to 7.6%, while male unemployment rose 0.4 points to 8.1%. The employment rate for people aged 15–64 held at 69.4%, near a record high. The full-time employment rate remained stable at 57.5%, while part-time employment rose slightly to 11.8%. The activity rate reached 75.4%, its highest since records began.
