Jobs Boost Show Increased Confidence in France, Le Maire Says

(Bloomberg) -- French job numbers are looking up and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire is delighted.

“It’s an excellent result -- it’s proof that economic confidence has returned in France,” Le Maire told reporters in Brussels referring to the jobs market.

Having inherited the first economic tailwind in a decade when he became president last year, Emmanuel Macron is pushing ahead with an ambitious reform agenda. His government’s effort to overhaul the labor market and lower taxation are also playing a part by supporting business confidence and investment, which in turn impacts jobs.

France’s unemployment rate fell below 9 percent at the end of last year and data published on Tuesday showed that private sector payrolls increased 0.4 percent in the final quarter of 2017.

Le Maire highlighted the industrial sector:

“It’s proof that the French industry has a future and that the French can be proud of the industrial sector, which is a capable sector with exceptional technologies, know-how and competencies.”

Le Maire said the government would continue to work on the sector’s economic transformation.

--With assistance from Rainer Buergin Anabela Reis Viktoria Dendrinou Nikos Chrysoloras and Ben Sills

To contact the reporters on this story: Alexander Weber in Brussels at aweber45@bloomberg.net, Marine Strauss in Brussels at mstrauss30@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Patrick Henry at phenry8@bloomberg.net, Zoe Schneeweiss, Richard Bravo

©2018 Bloomberg L.P.