PARIS: The number of unemployed people in France fell in September from August, potentially giving a boost to President Francois Hollande, who has pegged his political future to a turnaround in the jobs market. Statistics from the labor ministry Tuesday showed the number of people registered as fully unemployed–so-called Category A job seekers–fell 1.9% on the month in September to 3,490,500.
The French government, which has tried to shift focus away from the monthly count, said the figures Tuesday marked the third-straight quarter of joblessness declines on the previous quarter. “We are delighted that the latest figures consolidate the fundamental trend,” Labor Minister Myriam El Khomri said.
The quarterly unemployment rate–a separate measure–has also suggested improvement in the jobs market. The latest figures from August showed the unemployment rate fell to 9.9% in the second quarter of the year from 10.2% in the first. Still, Mr. Hollande faces an uphill struggle to change voters’ opinion of his economic record before the elections in May. Only 4% of French people are satisfied with Mr. Hollande’s actions as president, according to a survey of 17,047 people polled by Ipsos Sopra Steria between Oct 14 and Oct 19.
