Unemployment: Number of job seekers rises slightly in fourth quarter of 2023

According to data published this Thursday by the Ministry of Labor, the number of unemployed (category A, no activity) increased by 0.2% in the fourth quarter throughout France (excluding Mayotte), an increase for the second quarter in a row. The number of registrants now stands at 3.033 million, or more than 4,800 new registrations compared to the previous quarter.

Taking into account the decline in activity (categories B and C), the number of job seekers increased in the fourth quarter by 1% compared to the previous quarter, that is, 54,000 more registered and amounted to 5.406 million, according to the Statistics Office of the Ministry of Labor (Dare).

In the third quarter, the increase in the number of unemployed category A was greater than in the fourth, the increase was 0.6%. Unemployment continued to decline throughout the year at the end of last year, with the number of unemployed people out of work falling by 19,400, down 0.6% from the fourth quarter of 2022.

Growth among youth

The number of unemployed people looking for work has increased, especially among young people. In mainland France, growth was 5.9% for the year for those under 25 and 2.9% in the fourth quarter compared with the third.

In contrast, unemployment fell 0.6% for the quarter and for the year among people aged 25 to 49. For seniors (50 and older), it was down 2.9% for the year but up 0.6% for the quarter. Among job seekers with reduced activity (categories B and C), there is an increase in all age groups, but the number of young people is also increasing faster.

By region, inactive unemployment fell by 1% in Grand Est and 2.6% in Martinique, but increased by 1.8% in New Aquitaine and 4% in Guyana over the quarter. Finally, applications for the Pôle emploi programme, which became France Travail on 1 January, increased in all categories combined by 2.7% quarter-on-quarter and by 2.2% year-on-year.