French Labour Minister Mr Francois Fillon said today France's unemployment rate, which stood at 9.7 per cent in the most recent official report, would in fact drop this year.
He was speaking before tomorrow's publication by the Labour Ministry of monthly jobless figures for January.
"Unemployment will not reach double-digit figures in 2004 - to the contrary. I have indicated for several months that 2004 will see an easing of unemployment," Mr Fillon told the Senate in response to a question.
The remark made it clear Mr Fillon saw the jobless rate staying short of 10 per cent double digit level but did not make it clear whether another rise might still be in store.
"The number for the month of January will be published tomorrow and we will see what that says," he said.
Earlier, Prime Minister Mr Jean-Pierre Raffarin told reporters he expected unemployment to fall in the second half of this year and that he was not ruling out a "positive surprise" before then.