France jobless figures highest in over 11 years

PARIS Aug 25 (Reuters) - The number of jobless people in France rose in July for the third month running to hit the highest level in more than 11 years, labour ministry data showed on Thursday, casting a pall over the economic outlook.

The number of registered job seekers in mainland France rose by 36,100 in July to 2.76 million, the highest level since February 2000. The July figure was up 1.3 percent over one month and 2.8 percent over one year.

Labour Minister Xavier Bertrand had earlier on Thursday prepared the ground for bad news, warning on television that the July figures would not be any better than the previous two months.

The monthly labour ministry data is the most frequently reported domestic jobs indicator in France, although it is not prepared according to widely used ILO standards. (Reporting by Leigh Thomas)