Despite forecasts that unemployment in France will tick up to 11.2 percent by the end of 2013, President Francois Hollande is not backing down from his promise to ease jobless claims. Hollande?s plan relies on state-subsidized temp jobs and training schemes; including a fleet of 30,000 classroom ?minders? in French public schools and a government initiative to help unqualified youths gain positions in non-commercial sectors. Critics have voiced concern that the subsidized jobs will not be enough to alleviate the country's steep unemployment level. The government has yet to put a price tag on the jobs plan.
See "Analysis: How France?s Hollande plans to win his bet on jobs", Mark John and Emmanuel Jarry, Reuters, August 4, 2013