Here is a study on which the government can rely. While a new unemployment insurance reform, which will make the rules for compensation stricter, will come into force on 1er February 2023, Unédic – the joint association that manages the scheme – published, on Wednesday December 7, the fourth edition of its barometer of the perception of unemployment and employment, produced with the Elabe institute.
This time again, as in previous years, public opinion on the unemployed is hardening. One in two French people thus believes that job seekers are responsible for their situation (+ 7 points compared to 2021). Changes in society, however, remain the leading cause of unemployment cited, but in sharp decline (– 6 points, 59%). In parallel, the “suspicion” with regard to the unemployed continues to progress. 49% of the 3,000 French people questioned – 1,600 working people and 1,500 job seekers – believe that most of them are not really looking to find a job (including 16% who are ” Totally agree “ with this statement, up two points).
In addition, 60% think that unemployed people have difficulty finding work because they don’t make enough concessions, 57% that they don’t work because they “would risk losing their allowances”. Finally, 42% (+ 3 points) of French people consider that the unemployed are “assisted”. A term regularly used by the right and the employers, even more in this period of labor shortage despite an unemployment rate of 7.5%, and which finds a strong echo in the government, as well as in part of left. A context which also reinforces the perception of the French on the unemployed. Since 2020, the date of the first barometer, the lower the unemployment rate, the harsher the gaze of public opinion.
“partial knowledge”
Nevertheless, several elements are relatively paradoxical with this mistrust. Thereby, “unemployment continues to be perceived as a situation suffered”, says the study. Just as going through such a situation has become something commonplace for the French since for 95% of them, “Anyone can experience a period of unemployment during their career”. Finally, a large majority (59%) continue to say they are “attached to the French model of unemployment insurance”although this proportion is down 4 points.
A feeling of contradiction which can be explained by the “partial knowledge”, even a real ignorance, of the reality of unemployment, on which the opinion of the French is based. Only one third of the population assesses the fair value (between 900 and 1,099 euros) of the average monthly amount of unemployment benefit (one third overestimates it, another underestimates it). Ignorance is even more significant about the unemployment rate, overestimated by 54% of respondents to place it on average at 15%, twice the reality. A considerable but constant gap since 2020.
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