French unemployment rises again to 10.2 per cent

The national statistics agency says unemployment in France rose again in the second quarter, reaching 10.2 per cent.

Insee said Thursday that youth unemployment is also creeping up and was 23.5 per cent for the quarter that ended June 30.

Earlier this week, the government said that the number of people out of work had passed three million, a symbolic threshold but one that has focused new attention on France’s unemployment rate.

French unemployment has been climbing steadily since last year after dropping for a few quarters. It is now higher than at any time since 1999.