22nd month of unemployment rise

UNEMPLOYMENT in France rose again in February to a 16-year high and is close to breaking the record figure reached in 1997.

Some 3.187 million people are without work, according to new figures from Pôle Emploi - up 0.6% on January and 10.8% on the same time last year.

On average, 1,000 people every day register as unemployed at the job centre. Including those who are under-employed, the total number of people registered is 4.7 million.

It is the 22nd consecutive month that unemployment has risen. The record, in 1997, stands at 3.195 million.

The number of long-term unemployed (more than a year) is higher than ever before, up 14% to nearly 2 million. Youth unemployment stands at 25.7%.

President Hollande pledged in his new year address to reverse the trend in unemployment figures by the end of the year.