French jobless total falls in February, down 3.2% over one year

[PARIS] France's jobless total edged down in February from March in a new sign of a gradual recovery in the labour market, data from the Labour Ministry showed on Friday.

The number of people registered out of work in mainland France fell by 3,500 last month to 3,464,400, which was down 3.2 per cent over one year.

France's labour market has seen a stop-and-go recovery over the last year, though it has come too late to benefit President Francois Hollande, who decided last year not to run for a second term in part because of lacklustre results on the job front.

This month's positive outcome comes after surveys showed activity in the French private sector picked up pace to grow at a near-six year high, suggesting economic growth of 0.6 per cent in the first quarter.

REUTERS