September 29, 2006	Friday	Ramazan 5, 1427

PARIS, Sept 28: The French unemployment rate edged back up to 9.0 per cent in August, an increase of 0.1 percentage points compared with July, data from the French employment ministry showed on Thursday.

The unemployment rate has been on a downward trend in France since March 2005 and has been a focus area for the centre-right government of Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin.

French Finance Minister Thierry Breton had said on Wednesday that an unemployment rate under 8.0 per cent was “achievable” next year.—AFP