French unemployment to rise in 2010: PM

• Source: Xinhua
• [08:33 October 14 2009]
• Comments

The unemployment rate in France would keep rising in 2010, Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Tuesday.

"At least for part of 2010, we will see an increase in unemployment," Fillon said.

"We know that the decrease of unemployment needs an economic growth of between 1.5 percent and 2 percent, Fillon told French radio RTL.

France's budget plan predicts a tiny 0.7 percent growth for 2010 following a decrease of 2.25 percent in 2009.

The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) announced Monday that the unemployment rate in the OECD advanced economies reached 8.6 percent in August, with France's at 9.9 percent.