On average, in the fourth quarter of 2018, the unemployment rate according to the International Labour Organization (ILO) is 8.8% of the labor force in France (excluding Mayotte), its lowest level since early 2009. It decreased by 0.3 percentage points after being stable in the previous quarter.
In metropolitan France, the number of unemployed decreased by 90,000 in the fourth quarter, to 2.5 million people; the unemployment rate dropped by 0.3 percentage points, to 8.5% of the labor force.
The unemployment rate decreased significantly for young people, particularly for men aged 15 to 24 (-3.6 percentage points). It also fell for people aged 25 to 49 (-0.2 percentage points), while it remained stable for those aged 50 and over.
