The number of unemployed people in France reached a record high in March, fully reversing a decline recorded at the start of the year, reports Nasdaq.com.
The number of category A job seekers, which are defined as registered job seekers who are fully unemployed, rose 0.4% in March from February to 3,509,800, data from the labor ministry showed. The previous record high was set in December at 3,500,700.
The numbers are a blow to President François Hollande, who has made bringing down unemployment his number one priority before elections in 2017.
The leader of the center-left socialists has tried to tackle the problem from multiple angles. He introduced schemes to sponsor jobs for young people shortly after taking office in 2012, and last year he implemented tax cuts for employers in a bid to encourage recruitment. His government's latest plan is an incentive scheme for young people who take low paid jobs.
So far, the efforts have had little impact. The unemployment rate in France- which is published quarterly by statistics bureau INSEE - has ticked upwards throughout Mr. Hollande's presidency.
Read more of this report from Dow Jones Business News published by Nasdaq.com.