Unemployment returns to its race records – Challenges.fr

Paris (AFP) – Unemployment reached a new record in March, ahead of the third anniversary of the election of François Hollande, with 3.51 million job seekers without metropolis activity or 15,400 (+ 0.4%) more than in February.

According to figures released Monday by the Ministry of Labour, unemployment also reached its highest including Overseas, 3 77 million (+ 0.4%). In one year, it increased by 4.6%.

But Labour Minister François Rebsamen highlighted the quarterly figure. There were 9,200 additional applicants between January and March in France: it is the “lower (higher, Ed) recorded since the beginning of 2011″. “The measures adopted are beginning to bear fruit,” he said.

“The beginning of 2015 is still a trend improvement phase has he insisted, even if it is not enough not to obtain, for the moment, a steady decline in the number of job seekers. “

The increase was even higher (+ 0.5%) if we include applicants who have worked small business. 5.29 million in France, 5.59 million in all France, also records

Unlike previous months, the youth situation has deteriorated sharply in March (+ 1.0 % no activity), despite the many devices intended for them: Future jobs, contract generation, young Warranty, assisted contracts. The increase of 1.5% year on year. . Again, Mr. Rebsamen prefer quarterly sales (-0.7%)

At the other end of the age pyramid, rising unemployment senior slows down: 0.4 % over the month, up 8.6% year on year.

However, the long-term unemployment, erected in “national cause” by President François Hollande last July, continues to stain of Oil: little understood activity, 2.3 million unemployed registered at employment center for over a year (+ 1.1% over the month, up 10.1% year on year)

The government launched in February a plan to fight against this scourge, including promising “free training” at all jobseekers with a project in the framework of the training Personal Account (CPF).

– Objective: 1.5% growth –

These poor figures are surprising, after two years of sluggish growth (0.4% in 2013 and 2014). Like many economists, Manuel Valls readily concede that unemployment will not drop until growth will not rise “around 1.5%.” A threshold that the prime minister hopes to achieve by 2015.

As for Mr. Rebsamen, he recently was counting on a “stabilization and at the end of the year, a regression early” in the number of ‘registered employment center.

It is in this context that the minister introduced his bill on social dialogue in business last week. In “simplifying rules in business,” the government hopes to “lift locks” in hiring. It provides for a final adoption by the end of July.

The Macron law for the activity and growth has the same objective, in particular by extending the opening of shops on Sundays. The review of this project, in an accelerated procedure to be completed in the Senate on May 7

But the main weapon of the government is the Covenant of responsibility, which provides 40 billion euros of 2017 companies, to encourage them to hire, train or invest. In December, INSEE was expecting 80,000 jobs saved or created through the Covenant for 2015, however, insufficient to bring unemployment down.

Since the beginning of his term, Hollande has had only four months drop and never two consecutive. Over the period, the public employment service has seen an influx 586,600 additional unemployed.

“I do not want to let go,” said Mr. Holland in his last television interview on Canal + on 19 April. “I will fight for the two years I have left to reach the goal I set, falling unemployment.”