French employment rose a final 0.2pc in the fourth quarter from the third, unchanged from the provisional estimate, according to figures released today by statistics office Insee. Employment stood at 15.489 million at the end of the fourth quarter compared with 15.459 million at the end of the third quarter. The figures exclude the agriculture, public administration, education and health sectors.
The rate of unemployment, according to figures leaked last night, was unchanged in January from December at 9.1pc, the Labour Ministry said. The number of registered unemployed rose 0.7pc in January to 2,323,800 people, after rising 0.8pc in December and 0.6pc in November, it said. //www.fxcentre.com