In the first quarter, the number of unemployed fell by 36,700 registered compared to the previous quarter, to 3.016 million, according to figures released Wednesday by the Ministry of Labor.

Over one year, the decline in category A is 5.9%. Including reduced activity (categories B and C of Pôle emploi), the number of job seekers is down 0.4% in the first quarter (-3% over one year) and stands at 5.369 million, according to the Directorate of Statistics of the Ministry of Labor (Dares).

Labour Minister Olivier Dussopt immediately welcomed this "new setback". "We are not giving up anything to pursue our goal: full employment," he added.

In the previous quarter, unemployment had also fallen in category A despite sluggish growth at the end of the year, closing a good year 2022 for employment with 312,000 fewer unemployed, a decrease of 9.3%.

In the first quarter, category B increased slightly (+0.3%) and category C recorded an increase of 0.9%.

In category A, for metropolitan France alone, the number of job seekers increased by 0.5% for those under 25 (+0.8% over one year), decreased by 1.4% for those aged 25 to 49 (-6.5% over one year) and by 1.7% for those aged 50 or over (-7.3% over one year).

Ten regions recorded a decline in category A, while Hauts-de-France and Normandy were stable and Corsica recorded an increase of 2.5%.

On the long-term unemployment front, the number of jobseekers registered for a year or more (in category A, B, C) fell by 2.3% (-11.2% over one year). The share of jobseekers registered for one year represents 44.3% (-4.1 points over one year).

"Not the right reasons"

For Eric Heyer, director at the OFCE, these results are "not as positive as it seems" and are to be "put into perspective".

"When we see why it has decreased, the reasons for leaving" from Pôle emploi show entries into internship or training or the cessation of searches which "are not the right reasons," he said. "And the best reason, which is the declared recovery of employment, is declining," he notes, this reason falling by 3.4% over the quarter (-21.6% over one year).

Unemployment in France © Tupac POINTU / AFP

"Category A has gone down, but the other categories have gone up. What has increased sharply in particular is category B of less than 20 hours", also observes the economist (+3.9% over the quarter, +28.9% over one year), so jobs "with very short working hours and therefore precariousness".

He also notes that among young people the number of enrollees "is increasing, so we have the impression that the effect of learning is being diluted".

"In other words, it's pretty good but we don't have proof yet" of a "good drop in unemployment". He refers to INSEE figures expected in mid-May to see if the employment rate has increased because "if the unemployment rate is falling while the employment rate is not increasing, it means that it is falling for the wrong reasons".

To accelerate the fall in unemployment and achieve its goal of full employment - an unemployment rate of around 5% (against 7.2% in the 4th quarter of 2022) the government is counting in particular on the transformation of Pôle emploi into France Travail. A bill must be presented "early June", announced Wednesday Elisabeth Borne.

© 2023 AFP