Unemployment in France rose to 10.8 per cent in the first quarter of the year, its highest level since 1998. Official estimates indicate the jobless rate grew from 10.5 per cent in the last quarter of 2012. The French economy went into a recession after seeing GDP fall by 0.2 per cent in the first quarter. President Francois Hollande has pledged to boost jobs and growth, but demand has been sapped by the eurozone crisis.