Against all expectations, the rate decreased by 0.3 percentage points in the first quarter to 7.8%. However, the lockdown significantly affected active job search behaviors, explains Insee.
“This drop in the unemployment rate is the result of a sharp decline in the number of unemployed people declaring themselves available or actively seeking employment during the lockdown period. The lockdown period significantly affected active job search behaviors (for unemployed people whose preferred sector of activity was halted, for example), as well as the availability of individuals (due to childcare constraints, for example),” highlights Insee in its statement.
“Overall, unemployment as defined by the ILO* is therefore lower during this lockdown period, without it reflecting an improvement in the labor market,” explains the institute.
(*BIT refers to Bureau International du Travail, which is the International Labour Organization (ILO) in English.)
