Emmanuel Macron’s goal of full employment is moving a little further. The ambition to reach an unemployment rate of around 5% of the active population in 2027, a marker of the President of the Republic’s second term, is facing a slowdown in growth, compared to the current 7.4%. This led to a 0.2% increase in the number of jobseekers without any activity in the entire region (including foreign, excluding Mayotte) in the last quarter of 2023, according to figures released on Thursday January 25 by France Travel. formerly Pôle emploi).
Thus, the indicator now stands at 3.033 million – a figure that has been rising for the second quarter in a row while there is a very slight decline compared to what was seen a year ago. Taking into account those with jobs, 5.4 million were registered in France Travel in the last three months of 2023.
Faced with this situation, the harbinger of a bleak future on the employment front, the head of state does not give up. He wants to push for new changes, even if it means attacking the rights of the unemployed. During his press conference on 16 January, he announced his intention to set up “Strict Rules When Rejecting a Job Offer” While proposing “Better support for our unemployed”.
The statements were repeated the other day in Davos (Switzerland) during the World Economic Forum: “We are about to open the second phase of our labor market reform by tightening unemployment insurance rules.”, he said. His speech follows numerous outings by Bruno Le Maire, for whom full employment will be out of reach, during the autumn of 2023. “Consistency Model”. The Economy Minister is particularly calling for seniors, who currently benefit from preferential treatment, to be subject to the same compensation conditions as others.
“Marginal Risk Compared to Public Opinion”
Since Mr. Macron came to power in 2017, the situation of the unemployed has already developed significantly, with increasingly strict parameters for obtaining the allowance: an increase in the contribution period to unlock rights, a change in the calculation of the benefit, resulting in a reduction of the monthly amount for precarious workers, Change in the scale of sanctions imposed on those who fail to fulfill their obligations, reduction of compensation period by 25%, reject system-wide permanent offer for employees on fixed-term contracts twice…
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