France’s jobless total tops three million

A new Socialist president and government have failed to reverse France’s rising unemployment rate.

The number of people out of work has now passed the symbolic 3-million mark, a 13-year high. Figures from France’s Labour Ministry show young jobseekers suffering more than ever.

Last week the government held crisis talks to come up with solutions to what has been described as President Francois Hollande’s toughest challenge.

In the past few months, France has faced huge job cuts, with big companies such as Peugeot Citroen, Alcatel, and Sanofi announcing thousands of lay-offs. Supermarket chain Carrefour is also making widespread redundancies.

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