The number jumped from 843,000 people looking for work in March to a whopping 4,575,500, the highest since the ministry began tallying unemployment numbers in 1996.
The numbers do not reflect those on state-subsidised furloughs during the pandemic—the Labour Ministry indicated that those on furlough are nearly 13 million people.
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Great expectations: French PM to announce second phase of easing lockdown
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France's café culture: will easing of lockdown bring back the crowds ?
The data indicates that there was a near-35 percent drop in new employment.
The economy is slated to shrink some 20 percent in the second quarter, according to data released by Insee, France’s national statistics agency, also warning that the French economy could contract a total of eight percent for the year if the country returned to ‘business as usual’ by July.
Lockdown lifting?
France has been under one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe since mid-March; first restrictions were lifted on 11 May, and the country is hoping for additional restrictions to be lifted on Thursday.
Part of the easing of the lockdown concerns the French economy. Prime Minister Edouard is expected to announce that bars, cafes and restaurants in most of France will return to normal, while Paris and other hard-hit regions of France will need to wait until a later date
