France's jobless recovery stalls
New figures have revealed that France's jobless rate remained little changed in August, as the economy continued to perform sluggishly. France's government has pledged to bring down high unemployment levels which, until recently, stood at more than 10 percent. Over the summer, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin announced controversial changes in employment protection laws in a drive to tackle joblessness.
See "France's jobless recovery stalls", BBC News, BBC News Online, September 29, 2005