France unemployment rate (15-24 years): tertiary education
France unemployment rate (15-24 years): tertiary education stood at 12.4% in Q2 2026, according to Eurostat – labour market slack by sex and age, quarterly (lfsi_sla_q). It is one of the indicators in the Labour market indicators (Eurostat) table (Value · Quarterly), with a complete series running from Q1 1998 to Q2 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Labour market indicators (Eurostat) table
| Indicator | Q2-2026 | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All education levels | 20.3 | 20.7 | 21.7 | 21 | 17.7 | 18.6 | 18.8 | 21.7 | 16.7 | 17.6 | |
| Tertiary education (ISCED 5-8) | 12.4 | 16.2 | 15.6 | 15.5 | 8.7 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 16.5 | 8.2 | 12.2 | |
| Lower secondary education or less (ISCED 0-2) | 34.3 | 33.8 | 35.4 | 37.2 | 31.8 | 29.6 | 31 | 37.6 | 31 | 29.9 |
Understanding france unemployment rate (15-24 years): tertiary education
Unemployment among young adults aged fifteen to twenty-four who have successfully completed tertiary education, including short-cycle degrees and bachelor-level qualifications, is captured by this series. It calculates the proportion of active young graduates who are currently without work relative to the total active labour force within this educated youth bracket. This metric reflects the initial labour market absorption capacity for young professionals holding higher education degrees. Youths with secondary diplomas or basic schooling are entirely excluded from this specialized calculation.
Interpreting these figures requires accounting for the timing of academic graduation schedules, which introduces predictable quarterly spikes in job search registration before permanent placement occurs. Preliminary estimates can undergo substantial revisions as graduate employment surveys capture delayed entry into professional roles. Analysts should avoid misinterpreting high initial graduate joblessness as structural failure, because transitional friction often precedes stable professional placement. Comparing this rate with older tertiary-educated cohorts reveals the specific penalty young professionals face due to a lack of prior tenure.
Frequently asked questions
- Can teenagers aged fifteen to seventeen hold tertiary degrees in this dataset?
- While statistically rare, exceptional early graduates meeting tertiary classification thresholds are included within the broad age band.
- Why do tertiary-educated youths experience job search friction after graduation?
- Employers frequently demand prior professional experience that fresh graduates have not yet had time to accumulate.
- Does this series include postgraduate students?
- Those who have completed advanced degrees and are actively seeking work are included, provided they meet age criteria.