France's unemployment rate rose to 8.3% in Q2 from 8.1% in Q1, above economists'
median forecast of 8.2% and the highest reading since end-2020, the national
statistics office said. The weakening labor market has dented President
Macron's record and led the government to shelve its goal of achieving full
employment by the end of his second term next year. Officials and the data
pointed to energy-price shocks from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and a new
Iran-related conflict as key factors adding strain to the economy.
