Job seekers drop in Loire department

The number of job seekers in the Loire department has decreased, with 60,540 people registered with France Travail in categories A, B, and C between July and September 2026. This represents a decline of 460 compared to the spring, according to data from the Dares, the French labor statistics agency.

Categories A and B show significant decline

Among the registered job seekers, 32,460 had no activity (category A), a decrease of 1.7% over three months and 3.7% over twelve months. The other 28,080 were engaged in reduced activity (categories B and C). Including categories D and E, which include people not immediately available or already employed, results in 68,590 registered individuals, which is almost stable for the quarter and down 1.4% compared to a year ago.

Loire contrasts with Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region

The Loire department is moving against the trend of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, where the number of job seekers in categories A, B, and C increased by 0.3% (+2,110) to reach 642,900 registered individuals. The decline in the Loire is particularly strong among those aged 50 and over, with a 3.4% decrease over the quarter and 7% over twelve months.

Long-term job seekers rise

Registered individuals in categories A, B, and C for a year or more are 28,940, which is 3.5% more than a year ago. They now represent 47.8% of the job seekers in the department, an increase of 2.4 percentage points in a year, compared to 45.2% in the region. Conversely, those registered for less than a year are 31,600, down 6.1% over twelve months.

New categories reflect employment reforms

Since January 2025, the full employment law automatically registers recipients of RSA, young people followed by local employment agencies, and people with disabilities supported by Cap emploi with France Travail. Two new categories were created to account for them: Category F (social journey) includes 7,044 people in the Loire, compared to 2,019 a year ago. Category G (waiting for orientation) includes 3,828, compared to 8,714 a year earlier.

Reform impacts entries and exits

The department recorded 12,060 entries into categories A, B, and C (+36.1% compared to a year ago) and 11,480 exits (+37.6%). These volumes should be interpreted with caution in the context of the reform. Another effect of the new framework: since the decree of June 2025, sanctions take the form of a suspension-remobilization before any removal. In Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the number of exits due to removal is 516 on average in the third quarter of 2026, compared to 4,330 in the first quarter of 2025.