100 more that in November an increase of 1

Flag at half-mast on the employment front. The number of unemployed grew again last December, according to statistics released yesterday by the Ministry of labour. Pole job and the Dares have posted applicants 2.725.200 of employment of category A, i.e. with no all worked in the month, metropolitan France. It is 27.100 more that in November, an increase of 1. Taking into account also the people who worked in the month (categories B and C), the counter displays 4.051.700 in metropolis, an increase of 32.600 is 0.8, and 4.309.500 with the overseas departments.

2009, year very black, had at least completed on a touch of optimism, with a small decrease in the number of job seekers last month of the year. Step 2010, which has experienced two bad monthly performance after the rally of October. In the end, over 12 months, progress has been however five less time, with 80.100 unemployed more of class A, or 3 (and 202.500 on classes A, B and C cumulative), against an increase of more than 400,000 in 2009. But it's more than anticipated pole employment in September. Since March 2008, point below the curve of the unemployment, the number of unemployed grew 740.000 for category A and nearly 1 million for the three categories A, B and C.

As of November, the poor performance of December explained at least in part by the closure by the authorities of the valve assisted contracts. But at the global, these instruments of social treatment of unemployment have contributed to mitigate the impact of the crisis in 2010, since some 500,000 contracts were concluded last year, a record. The review of the number of jobseekers of category E, i.e. beneficiaries assisted contracts, shows that their input was not negligible: last December, they were 352.100, an increase of 20 over a year. They were only 225.100 before the crisis.

The situation is all the more disturbing that in December, for the second consecutive month, the number of unemployed young people has resumed its progression ( 1.1), reaching 442.400. But it is too early to draw conclusions, because over one year, the trend remained downward, to 5.2. On the elderly, the situation on the other hand again deteriorated. The number of unemployed persons over 50 years, which exceeded half a million in September, has increased on a year by 16.3, to 523.300. As long-term unemployment, he continued his momentum: applicants 1.523.400 of employment were registered at pole employment for more than a year end 2010, against less than 1 million by March 2008. Nothing last year, their number grew to 250,000.

However, all is not negative in the statistics of yesterday. They are in effect a reduction of the flow of the entries to pole employment (512.400 539.000 in November 2010 and 529.800 in December 2009). Among all the reasons for registration, only returns the inactive job market are increasing. It is on the outputs that took place the failure, except on entries in training and job search exemptions, which are anything but of job creation.

Xavier Bertrand, Minister of labour, was evidence of an excess of optimism when he was back street of Grenelle, welcoming "the mobilization of government employment is bearing fruit". Always stressing his "obligation of result", it is now more prudent. In a press release yesterday, he emphasized that it will "mobilise all stakeholders in the policy of employment ...". "so that 2011 is a year of sharp fall in unemployment." He promises that "new concrete measures, particularly for the more vulnerable public, apply as soon as the next few weeks", referring to projects on alternation, and an effort for the long-term unemployed.