virtually full employment, the unemployment rate is now running close to 12.5%, putting France well above the OECD average. Around 2.5 million people, moreover, are now enrolled in active labour-market programmes. It is the low-skilled workers who have been hit hardest. Other noteworthy features are the decline in private-sector employment, the sharp fall in the employment rate for young people and older workers, and the scale of long term unemployment.To read the full article, download the PDF file below.