Unemployment rate in France

France: Unemployment rate was 10.82 in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
10.82
Change on year
up 3.4%
World rank
8th
of 41 countries
All-time high
12.58
in 2021
All-time low
10.18
in 2018
Years of data
12
2014–2025

Unemployment rate in France, 2014–2025

0510152014201920252014: 11.22015: 11.82016: 11.22017: 11.32018: 10.22019: 10.32020: 11.52021: 12.62022: 11.32023: 112024: 10.52025: 10.8

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

France recorded 10.82 for unemployment rate in 2025.

The figure is up 3.4% on the previous year and down 8.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rate in France peaked at 12.58 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 10.18, in 2018.

That places France 8th out of 41 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

Unemployment rate in France, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment rate (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in France, 2014 to 2025.
Year Value Change
2014 11.18
2015 11.82 +5.8%
2016 11.19 -5.4%
2017 11.33 +1.2%
2018 10.18 -10.1%
2019 10.31 +1.3%
2020 11.54 +12.0%
2021 12.58 +9.0%
2022 11.29 -10.2%
2023 10.98 -2.7%
2024 10.46 -4.7%
2025 10.82 +3.4%

France compared with similar countries

  • France's 10.82 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.93, 1.6× the median. (31 countries reporting)
  • France's 10.82 is above the median for high income countries, which is 6.33, 1.7× the median. (32 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 11 10.18 11.82 6
2020s 11.28 10.46 12.58 6

Countries ranked near France

  1. 5 Zambia 12.89 compare
  2. 6 Rwanda 12.42 compare
  3. 7 Greece 11.41 compare
  4. 9 Lithuania 10.69 compare
  5. 10 Finland 10.66 compare
  6. 11 Portugal 9.56 compare

See the full ranking of 41 places →

More work & labour data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rate in France?
Unemployment rate in France was 10.82 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in France?
The highest recorded value was 12.58 in 2021.
What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 10.18 in 2018.
How does France rank for unemployment rate?
France ranks 8th out of 41 countries with data for 2025.
Is unemployment rate rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this France data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Unemployment rate (current ILO definition - ICLS19). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Unemployment rate in France. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-rate-current-ilo-definition-icls19/france/

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rate (current ILO definition - ICLS19)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
41 places, 428 data points, 2014–2025
Last refreshed

With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series includes only countries for which the 19th ICLS definitions are applied. The unemployment rate conveys the number of persons who are unemployed as a percent of the labour force (i.e., the employed plus the unemployed). The unemployed comprise all persons of working age who were: a) without work during the reference period, i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment; b) currently available for work, i.e. were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; and c) seeking work, i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified recent period to seek paid employment or self-employment. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.