French CAC 40 Rises as Unemployment Hits 8.3 Percent

The French benchmark CAC 40 index rose 0.52 percent to 8,745.15 on Friday. Investors balanced geopolitical news and quarterly earnings against anticipation of U.S. non-farm payroll data, which will likely influence Federal Reserve interest rate decisions.

Market performance remained mixed. Gains were recorded for Pernod Ricard, Dassault Systemes, STMicroelectronics, and Airbus, while Stellantis, Eiffage, and Bouygues saw declines.

Economic data released by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies showed that France's unemployment rate rose to 8.3 percent in the second quarter of 2026. This represents the highest unemployment level since the third quarter of 2020.

Trade figures for June 2026 showed a narrowing trade deficit of 5.8 billion euros, down from 7.9 billion euros in May. This improvement followed a 2.6 percent increase in exports and a 0.9 percent decrease in imports.