Long-term unemployment rises in Charente and Bouches-du-Rhône

Data from the third quarter of 2026 indicates a growing trend of long-term unemployment in parts of France. In Charente, the proportion of job seekers registered for at least one year reached 51.3 percent in the second quarter of 2026, with 15,790 individuals. While the total number of job seekers saw a slight decline in the third quarter, the number of those registered for three years or more has risen steadily since early 2025.

In the Bouches-du-Rhône department, long-term registrants now account for 45.2 percent of the 196,820 total job seekers in categories A, B, and C. This group, consisting of 89,020 people, has grown by 8.5 percent over the past year. This increase in long-term unemployment is outpacing the growth of the overall job seeker population.

Experts note that recent changes in French employment laws may influence these statistics. Since 2025, new regulations regarding automatic registration for certain beneficiaries and changes to how job seekers are suspended rather than immediately removed from lists may result in longer continuous registration periods, mechanically increasing the seniority of those on the rolls.