Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in France
France: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 7.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in France, 1970–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
France recorded 7.7% for unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.6% on the previous year and down 25.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in France peaked at 12.6% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 1970.
That places France 56th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in France, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.4% | — |
| 1971 | 2.7% | +10.5% |
| 1972 | 2.8% | +3.9% |
| 1973 | 2.7% | -3.2% |
| 1974 | 2.9% | +6.6% |
| 1975 | 4.1% | +42.6% |
| 1976 | 4.5% | +9.4% |
| 1977 | 5.0% | +12.2% |
| 1978 | 5.3% | +5.2% |
| 1979 | 6.0% | +14.3% |
| 1980 | 6.4% | +6.5% |
| 1981 | 7.5% | +17.4% |
| 1982 | 8.2% | +8.7% |
| 1983 | 7.9% | -3.5% |
| 1984 | 9.5% | +20.4% |
| 1985 | 10.3% | +7.6% |
| 1986 | 10.2% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 10.7% | +4.9% |
| 1988 | 10.2% | -5.2% |
| 1989 | 9.6% | -5.5% |
| 1990 | 9.4% | -2.7% |
| 1991 | 9.1% | -2.4% |
| 1992 | 10.2% | +11.7% |
| 1993 | 11.3% | +10.9% |
| 1994 | 12.6% | +11.2% |
| 1995 | 11.8% | -6.0% |
| 1996 | 12.4% | +4.5% |
| 1997 | 12.6% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 12.1% | -3.9% |
| 1999 | 12.0% | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 10.2% | -14.7% |
| 2001 | 8.6% | -15.7% |
| 2002 | 8.7% | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 8.3% | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 8.9% | +7.3% |
| 2005 | 8.9% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 8.8% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 8.0% | -9.3% |
| 2008 | 7.4% | -7.8% |
| 2009 | 9.1% | +23.5% |
| 2010 | 9.3% | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 9.2% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 9.8% | +6.6% |
| 2013 | 9.9% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 10.3% | +3.6% |
| 2015 | 10.4% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 10.1% | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 9.4% | -6.4% |
| 2018 | 9.0% | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 8.4% | -6.7% |
| 2020 | 8.0% | -4.8% |
| 2021 | 7.9% | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 7.3% | -7.2% |
| 2023 | 7.3% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 7.4% | +1.4% |
| 2025 | 7.7% | +3.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.8% | 2.4% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.1% | 6.4% | 10.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.3% | 9.1% | 12.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.7% | 7.4% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.6% | 8.4% | 10.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.6% | 7.3% | 8.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near France
More work & labour data for France
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.028 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0507 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0063 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.62 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.3323 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 62,374 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 8,235 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 35,191 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 33,294 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 68,485 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in France?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in France was 7.7% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 12.6% in 1994.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 1970.
- How does France rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- France ranks 56th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.