The average unemployment rate in France fell to 9.1% in the second quarter from 9.2% in the previous quarter, the country's National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies said.

The unemployment rate in metropolitan France decreased by 0.2 percentage point to 8.7% in the second quarter. It was expected to remain unchanged at 8.9%, according to Econoday's consensus estimate.

The number of unemployed in metropolitan France declined by 48,000 in the quarter to 2.5 million people.

The employment rate edged up to 65.8% in the quarter from 65.7% in the previous quarter. Full-time employment remained stable, while part-time employment increased by 0.2 point from the previous quarter.