France's unemployment rate hit a 13-year high of 10.3 per cent in the third quarter of 2012, after the country's jobless rate edged up 0.1 per cent compared with the previous three months of 2012, according to figures published Thursday by the national statistics agency INSEE. Youth unemployment was shown as increasing at a much quicker pace, with the rate among 15- to 25-year-olds rising from 22.8 per cent in Q2 to 24.2 per cent - the highest level on record since 1996, dpa reported. Using the International Labour Organization criteria, the number of people out of work in mainland France, excluding overseas territories, stood at 2.8 million. If a broader definition that also includes people who want to work but are not actively seeking employment is used, the number rises to 3.6 million. With the eurozone crisis showing little sign of abating, President Francois Hollande has warned that unemployment is likely to continue rising for another year before the effects of reforms aimed at boosting job creation are felt.
