French jobseeker rebrand aims to inspire ‘active’ take on employment
Ditching the old ‘Pôle Emploi’ moniker is accompanied by plans to make people on unemployment benefits do weekly ‘insertion’ work
Pôle Emploi, France’s national jobseeker network, is to change name next year to France Travail
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Pôle Emploi, France’s national jobseeker network, is to change name next year to France Travail – Travail suggesting action/ investment in a job rather than the more passive ‘employed’.
The move is also to mark a change and is accompanied by plans to make people on RSA income top-up benefit who are registered as ‘looking for employment’ do between 15 and 20 hours of ‘insertion’ work a week (the aim being to get them into a long-term job).
The idea provoked an immediate reaction from former work commissioner Martin Hirsch, who introduced the RSA during his mandate.
Mr Hirsch said: “Turning someone receiving benefits into a labourer without rights is social regression.”
The government said plans for France Travail include spending an extra €2.3billion over two years finding work for unemployed people.
The long-term unemployed will be specifically targeted.
The number of jobseekers in France dropped by 3.6% in the last quarter of 2022 to 3.05 million, the lowest figure since 2011.
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