France's PM sees negative job data on feeble growth

Xinhua

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"(Unemployment figures) cannot be good. They will be negative due the level of growth that we have," Valls told state-owned TV channel BFMTV.

At the end of June, Joblessness rate hit a new record to more than 3.398 million people without work, up by 0.3 percent.

Under fire for failure to reverse the alarming jobless trend, the French government aimed to stabilize the jobless rate at below 10 percent by the end of 2014 thanks to 30 billion euros (39.51 billion U.S. dollars) cut in labor charges.

The ruling Socialists aimed to create 45,000 additional "jobs for the future," which will recruit poorly-qualified young workers from disadvantaged suburbs and rural areas. The scheme is expected to bring the total number of state-sponsored posts to 95,000 this year.

In a recent report, the National Professional Union for Employment in Industry and Trade (UNEDIC) forecast a continued rise in joblessness with an additional 103,200 jobseekers expected this year and 60,000 job claims in 2015.