PARIS (AFX) - France's seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate fell to 8.7 pct in March from 8.8 pct in February, the Labour Ministry said.
The number of registered unemployed who are "immediately available" for work fell 13,000 to reach 2,079,400 on a seasonally-adjusted basis.
This category excludes those on the unemployment register who undertake part-time or temporary work for more than 78 hours per month.
Including such registrants, the number of jobless fell 0.9 pct to 2,529,200 in March.
The ministry also issued figures for the number of unemployed based on International Labour Organisation definitions. These gave a seasonally-adjusted total of 2,295,000 in March, down 0.9 pct from February. The unemployment rate is calculated using these figures.