The geographical levels can be compared.

For metropolitan France, the localised unemployment rates are comparable:

• since 1982: quarterly average and annual average by department and by region ;

• since 2003: quarterly average and annual average by employment area.

For the Doms (excluding Mayotte), the localised unemployment rates are comparable as a quarterly average and as an annual average by department since 2014.

For the Doms (excluding Mayotte and French Guiana), the localised unemployment rates are comparable as a quarterly average and as an annual average per employment zone since 2014.

The set of localised unemployment rates is consistent with the national unemployment rates from the CES.

The internal consistency of the data was checked: compliance with the additivity of the variables, application of recognised methods for detecting atypical points, etc.