French jobless figures fall for first time in six months

France’s headline unemployment total fell by 18 700 in December but ministers warned that the jobs market remains fragile.
The drop was the first in six months but there’s uncertainty among economists as to whether expected growth in 2010 will have a significant impact on jobs.
France’s unemployment stands at more than 2,630,000 or around 10 per cent – in line with the eurozone average.