France is sticking to its target of 2.5 percent growth in 2005 despite the rise in the price of oil, Prime Minister Jean-Pierre raffarin said on Friday. "I keep our prediction of growth in 2005 of 2.5 percent," Raffarin told the Clermont-Ferrand daily La Montagne. French statistics office INSEE raised its 2004 growth forecast slightly on Wednesday to 2.4 percent but said oil prices need to fall for the economy to meet the government's target of 2.5 percent growth next year. Touching on one of the most important issues for French voters, Raffarin was optimistic that unemployment would fall next year. "I think that we will obtain a significant drop in unemployment in 2005," he said. The unemployment rate was 9.9 percent in August, leaving it well above the euro zone average. Attacking unemployment and maintaining growth are key targets for the conservative government.///www..com