According to the report from Insee, the unemployment rate in France decreased by 0.3% at 8.8% of active population at the end of 2018. It was the lowest level since the first quarter of 2009. Unemployment was expected to remain at 9,1%.

On average in Q4 2018, the average ILO unemployment rate in metropolitan France and the overseas departments (excluding Mayotte) stood at 8.8% of the labour force, its lowest level since early 2009. It decreased by 0.3 percentage points quarter on quarter, after being stable in Q3 2018.

In metropolitan France, the number of unemployed decreased by 90,000 in Q4 2018 to 2.5 million people; the unemployment rate stood at 8.5 % of the labour force. The unemployment rate strongly decreased among youths (-1.7 points). It also decreased for persons aged 25 to 49 (-0.2 points) and was stable for those aged 50 and over.

Over a year, the unemployment rate in metropolitan France decreased by 0.1%, but fell markedly among youth (-1.8 points), in particular among young men (-2.8 points).