Unemployment remains stable in the second quarter of 2026, with a slight drop in the number of job seekers in category A, according to Dares.
The number of people registered with France Travail in category A fell by 0.2% on average between April and June 2026, according to an estimate from Dares. This development concerns category A, which brings together job seekers who have not worked at all during the month, and which remains the most followed indicator to measure the dynamics of the labor market.
The number of job seekers who did not work at all from April to June, classified in category A, fell by 0.2%, on average, or 5,000 fewer registered, after a drop of 2.4% in the first quarter (-58,000). Over one year, the drop is 1.6% (-38,000).
Dares and France Travail specify that “these figures are estimates which best reflect the cyclical evolution of the labor market”.
An unemployment rate that exceeds 8%
Despite this slight improvement in terms of those registered with France Travail, the unemployment rate is increasing, but only slightly, even if it has exceeded 8% of the active population.
According to INSEE, “the unemployment rate as defined by the International Labor Office (ILO) stands at 8.1% of the active population in the first quarter of 2026”. In the first quarter of 2026, the number of unemployed in France (excluding Mayotte) as defined by the ILO increases by 68,000 compared to the previous quarter, to 2.6 million people. The unemployment rate remains well below its peak in mid-2015 (-2.4 points).
Administrative data from Dares and France Travail, which measure registrations on the lists of job seekers, show stability, or even a slight improvement, in the second quarter of 2026. On the other hand, the unemployment figures within the meaning of the ILO, which are based on an international definition and a household survey, indicate a slight increase in the number of unemployed in the first quarter of 2026.
This divergence between the two sources is explained by differences in methodology and scope. Figures from Dares and France Travail are published every quarter and make it possible to closely monitor economic developments in the labor market, while those from INSEE offer a broader vision, including in particular people actively looking for work, whether or not they are registered with France Travail.
