The French economy added jobs at a steady pace in the fourth quarter, according to data today which Economy Minister Christine Lagarde said meant 2007 saw the biggest annual increase in jobs in seven years.
Non-farm payrolls rose 0.4 per cent in the three months to December 31st, the same pace as in the third quarter, and were up 1.9 per cent year-on-year, national statistics office INSEE said.
The construction and services sectors saw the fastest job creation rates, of 1.0 per cent and 0.6 per cent respectively on the quarter. Industry excluding building fell by 0.5 per cent.
"Christine Lagarde is pleased with the remarkable vigour of job creation in 2007, a rate not seen since the year 2000," Ms Lagarde's office said in a statement sent shortly after the release of figures.
The job statistics were published a day after gross domestic product data, which showed the eurozone's second biggest economy grew by 0.3 per cent in the fourth quarter.
That meant French growth came in at 1.9 per cent in 2007, below the lower end of the government's 2.0-2.5 per cent forecast.