Pôle Emploi, France’s national jobseeker network, is to change name next year to France Travail – Travail suggesting action/ investment in a job rather than the more passive ‘employed’.
The move is also to mark a change and is accompanied by plans to make people on RSA income top-up benefit who are registered as ‘looking for employment’ do between 15 and 20 hours of ‘insertion’ work a week (the aim being to get them into a long-term job).
The idea provoked an immediate reaction from former work commissioner Martin Hirsch, who introduced the RSA during his mandate.
Mr Hirsch said: “Turning someone receiving benefits into a labourer without rights is social regression.”
The government said plans for France Travail include spending an extra €2.3billion over two years finding work for unemployed people.
The long-term unemployed will be specifically targeted.
The number of jobseekers in France dropped by 3.6% in the last quarter of 2022 to 3.05 million, the lowest figure since 2011.
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