More than 3m without work

FRANCE has gone over the symbolic level of three million unemployed - with more than 10% of the population jobless.

It is the 15th month in a row that the jobless total has risen.

Speaking on Radio J about figures showing 2.987million with no work at the end of July, Employment Minister Michel Sapin said that the figures were already worse than those announced, as this was now September.

"What will next year's unemployment rate be? Nobody knows. The question is will it rise by very much? Yes, it will rise. At some point will we be able to reverse it? Yes.

"These are economic decisions, European decisions. We need growth to create jobs."

In July the number of unemployed rose by 41,300 - the biggest leap for three years.

Sapin said that an employment contract was no longer secure and the government needed to look at that with the employers and unions to give more job protection.

The employment contract as at present had no sense as everything had been turned around with the rise in limited period CDD contracts, a vast increase in casual and part-time workers, and increasing lay-offs.

"We need to look at this again to give more job security. People have part-time working imposed on them; all this should be rejected by our social partners [businesses and unions]."

But, he added, "from the other side, companies also had to have the "power to adapt" to the new economic situation. It will put proposals on protecting jobs to employers and unions on September 10.