French Unemployment Unexpectedly Drops in Boost for Macron

  • Joblessness drops to 7.3% in second quarter; est. was 7.5%
  • Snap elections this summer have left economic policy uncertain
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French unemployment unexpectedly declined in the second quarter, a sign that President Emmanuel Macron’s unpopular labor-market reforms are bringing some results.

The jobless rate in the euro area’s second-biggest economy fell to 7.3%, according to statistics agency Insee. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had expected the level to be unchanged at 7.5%.