One out of two French people considers that the unemployed are partly responsible for their situation.

The gaze of public opinion on job seekers continues to harden, according to a Unédic barometer published on Wednesday.

According to this study carried out by Elabe, unemployment is always, in the eyes of the French, above all caused by changes in society.

But at 59%, this factor is down 6 points compared to the last edition of the barometer carried out in September 2021.

And the responsibility lent to the unemployed themselves is up sharply (50%, +7), according to the study.

It exceeds that of businesses (45%, -2).

At the same time, the perception of job seekers as “victims” of a situation suffered rather than chosen remains in the majority (72%) but has fallen by three points.

Culture of “suspicion”

At the same time, in a context of strong recruitment pressures, “suspicion” of job seekers is on the rise.

A majority of respondents (60%) believe that if they encounter difficulties, it is because they do not make concessions in their job search, and they do not want to risk losing their allowance- unemployment (57%, +2).

Nearly one in two people (49%) say that most unemployed people are not really looking to find a job.

While a new reform of unemployment insurance will come into force in February, with a 25% reduction in the duration of compensation for new registrants, this view is based on an erroneous knowledge of the realities of unemployment.

The unemployment rate is notably estimated on average at 15%, notes the study, while in reality it is twice lower.

A hardening felt by the unemployed

For 56% of French people, “an unemployed person is necessarily someone who receives an allowance, while unemployment insurance compensates 2.5 million recipients, i.e. a fraction of all 6.5 million job seekers. employment in all categories", indicates the study.

Job seekers feel this hardening of opinion.

Asked to spontaneously describe what, according to them, the French think of the unemployed, more than half (52%, +7) cite a pejorative term (lazy, profiteer, assisted, fraudster, etc.).

This element has increased by 13 points since the first part of the barometer in March 2020. Survey conducted online from August 30 to September 26 with a representative sample of 4,525 people aged 15 and over, according to the quota method (3,012 interviews of the general public and 1,513 interviews with job seekers).

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