Unemployment rate holds steady at 7.5% in Q2, as per INSEE's report
The unemployment rate in France for Q2 2025 is reported as stable at 7.5% by INSEE, the official National Institute of Statistics, despite a rise of 29,000 unemployed individuals during the quarter [1][2][4][5]. However, France Travail, the national employment agency, reports an increasing unemployment trend over the same period.
This discrepancy can be attributed to the different methodologies and definitions used by these two organisations. INSEE bases its unemployment rate on the International Labour Office (ILO) criteria, which consider a person unemployed only if they are actively seeking work and available to start a job within a short period. This approach produces a standardized rate allowing international comparison and focuses on the labor force population [1][2][4][5].
On the other hand, France Travail counts registered job seekers (demanders d’emploi), which includes a broader population such as those registered but not actively seeking work or engaged in limited activity. This measure is more sensitive to immediate changes in unemployment registrations and can reflect short-term fluctuations and administrative factors, often showing increases or decreases that do not alter the official ILO unemployment rate [1].
The unemployment rate for different age groups also presents an interesting picture. The unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24 stands at 19% in the second quarter of 2025, marking a 1.2-point increase over the year [1][2][4][5]. Conversely, the unemployment rate for seniors aged 50 and over remains stable at 4.8% in the second quarter of 2025 [1][2][4][5]. The unemployment rate for 25-49 year-olds has increased by 0.3 points over the year, reaching 6.9% in the second quarter of 2025 [1][2][4][5].
The employment rate, measured by INSEE since 1975, increases slightly in the second quarter and reaches its highest historical level at 69.6% [1][2][4][5]. Despite the increase in the number of unemployed individuals, the margin around unemployment, consisting of people who want a job but are not actively seeking one or are not immediately available, stands at 1.9 million people, a decrease of 51,000 people over the year [1][2][4][5]. Over the quarter, the margin around unemployment increases slightly by 21,000 people [1][2][4][5].
In summary, INSEE’s stable unemployment rate reflects statistical measurement consistent with labor force survey definitions and adjusted revisions, while France Travail’s rising figures reflect administrative counts of job seekers that often fluctuate more sharply. Both provide valid information but measure slightly different concepts of unemployment in France [1][2][4][5].
[1] INSEE. (2025). Chômage au deuxième trimestre 2025. Retrieved from https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/1300099 [2] France Travail. (2025). Chômage en France au deuxième trimestre 2025. Retrieved from https://www.francetravail.fr/fr/chomage-en-france-au-2eme-trimestre-2025 [4] ILO. (2025). International Labour Market Statistics. Retrieved from https://ilostat.ilo.org/ [5] OECD. (2025). OECD Employment Outlook. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/employment/outlook/
- Amidst the varying unemployment figures, it's essential to understand that INSEE, which adheres to the International Labour Office (ILO) criteria, focuses on the labor force population who are actively seeking work and available to start a job.
- In contrast, France Travail's count of registered job seekers encompasses a broader population, including those who may not be actively seeking work or engaged in limited activity, offering a more sensitive measure to immediate changes in unemployment registrations.
