14 August 2019

2019- n° 208

The unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 points in Q2 2019 ILO Unemployment and Labour Market-related indicators (Labour Force Survey results) - second quarter 2019

The ILO unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 points on average in Q2 2019, after a 0.1 points fall in the first quarter. It stood at 8.5% of the labour force in France (excluding Mayotte), 0.6 points below its Q2 2018 level and its lowest level since early 2009.

In metropolitan France, the number of unemployed decreased by 66,000 over a quarter to 2.4 million people; the unemployment rate declined by 0.2 points, to 8.2 % of the labour force. It decreased for all age groups. The fall is more pronounced among young people (−0.6 points) than among persons aged 25 to 49 (−0.2 points) and those aged 50 and over (−0.2 points).

Over a year, the unemployment rate in metropolitan France decreased by 0.6 points, but fell more markedly among the youth (−1.5 points), in particular young women (−1.8 points).

Among the unemployed, 0.9 million declared that they had been seeking a job for at least one year. The long-term unemployment rate stood at 3.2% of the labour force in Q2 2019. This rate was virtually stable over a quarter (−0.1 points) and decreased by 0.4 points over a year.

In metropolitan France, among inactive people as defined by the ILO, 1.5 million persons wished to work without being considered as unemployed according to the ILO definition: they made up the halo of unemployment. Their number increased by 63,000 over a quarter after a significant drop in the previous quarter butremained stable over a year.

The employment rate of the population aged 15-64 years was virtually stable (−0.1 points) in Q2 2019, at 66.0%. Over the quarter, the employment rate among the youth diminished (−0.3 points), whereas it was stable among persons aged 25 to 49 and slightly increased among those aged 50 to 64 (+0.2 points), especially women (+0.7 points). Over a year, it increased for all age groups (+0.2 points for the 15-64 years old).

Permanent employment rate for people aged 15 to 64 stood at 49.7% in Q2 2019. It was stable compared to the previous quarter and virtually stable (+0.1 points) over a year. Fixed-term and temporary employment rate was also stable compared to Q1 2019. It stood at 7.6%, 0.5 points below its highest level reached at the end of 2017.

Full-time employment rate stood at 54.7% in Q2 2019. It advanced by 0.2 points over a quarter and 0.8 points over a year, reaching its highest level since 2003 (beginning of the quarterly series). Part-time employment rate decreased by 0.3 points compared to the previous quarter and 0.7 points over a year, to 11.3%.

In Q2 2019, 5.2% of the employed persons were underemployed. It mainly concerns people having a part-time job and wishing to work more. This share was virtually stable (−0.1 points) over a quarter and declined by 0.7 points over a year.

The activity rate of people aged 15-64 decreased by 0.2 points over a quarter and over a year,to 72.0%. Quarter-on-quarter, it decreased among youths (−0.6 points) and middle-aged persons (−0.2 points), while being stable among persons aged 50 to 64. The activity rate increased however among those aged 55 to 64 (+0.2 points over a year, +1.0 points over a year).

Compared to the provisional estimate published on 16 May 2019, ILO unemployment rate in Q1 2019 has been unchanged. For Q2 2017, it has been raised by 0.1 points in metropolitan France (from 9.1% to 9.2%), due to the updating of seasonal adjustment coefficients.