French unemployment hits 14-year high.

The number of job seekers in France rose 1.5% in October to 3.1M, the highest since April 1998, with the increase the 18th in a row. The Labor Ministry said that because of the struggling economy, the figures could get even worse. The government hopes that corporate tax rebates and other measures that are due to come in next year will kick-start the economy and bring unemployment down.