For the population as a whole, the unemployment rate stands at 8.2% in the third quarter of 2026, according to the Insee report dated Tuesday, November 10. It remains virtually unchanged from the second quarter, when it stood at 8.3%, but is up 0.4 percentage points from the third quarter of 2025.
Among those under 25, this situation was already similar in 2025. The French rate is also more than five points above the European average.
A report conducted in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, seeks to understand the obstacles weighing on the employment of these young people.
Jobs exist around Saint-Denis, but they do not always match demand.
In the absence of work-study placements, temporary employment agencies have multiplied considerably in recent years, across every type of field.
These assignments, however, involve a very high level of hardship. According to the report, these are not jobs in which these young temporary workers wish to remain. Staying in this circuit also means remaining registered with France Travail.
They also highlight discrimination, as well as the psychological and administrative obstacles that young people must confront before finding a job.