The jobless rate in metropolitan France remained stable at 9.7 percent in the second quarter of 2014 compared with the previous three-month period, but the rate eased up to 10.2 percent if outlying dominions and territories are included in the survey, the National Statistics Institute (INSEE) said on Thursday.
The number of unemployed, however, has been steadily rising in the past year and has increased every month, with the exception of one month.
France now has over 3.4 million people seeking jobs but that figure is higher and closer to five million if part-time unemployed and those refusing to sign jobless rolls out of despair are included.