Metropolitan France jobseekers: category A
Metropolitan France jobseekers: category A stood at 3,081,700 persons in Aug 2026, according to DARES – Direction de l'animation de la recherche, des études et des statistiques (Ministère du Travail). It is one of the indicators in the Registered jobseekers (DARES) table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jan 1996 to Aug 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Registered jobseekers (DARES) table
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category A (no work at all) | |||||||||||
| Metropolitan France | 3,081,700 | 3,143,000 | 3,121,500 | 3,115,600 | 3,100,100 | 3,109,100 | 3,073,500 | 3,082,000 | 3,108,600 | 3,115,800 | |
| Île-de-France | 683,130 | 690,520 | 685,400 | 685,610 | 679,290 | 679,150 | 669,510 | 672,140 | 677,810 | 676,440 |
Understanding metropolitan France jobseekers: category A
The aggregate count of individuals registered as jobseekers who performed absolutely no work during the reference month is measured in this baseline category across the entire national territory. This foundational metric isolates the most acute segment of the administrative register, excluding anyone who logged even a fraction of hours in part-time or casual employment. It serves as the primary benchmark for administrative joblessness before any geographic or demographic partitioning is applied.
Interpreting this series requires accounting for strong seasonal hiring patterns and administrative processing schedules that affect registration updates. Month-on-month figures can be noisy, so analysts generally examine twelve-month comparisons to evaluate the true direction of the series. When comparing this national total with regional subsets, users must remember that national figures aggregate diverse local labor market conditions into a single headline number.
Frequently asked questions
- What defines a jobseeker in this primary category?
- Individuals in this group must have performed no work at all during the reference month and remain immediately available for employment.
- Does this series include people working part-time hours?
- No, any individual recording even minimal work activity during the month is classified under different administrative categories.
- Is this the standard headline figure for registered joblessness?
- Yes, this category represents the traditional core measure of individuals without any employment activity on the registers.