The French unemployment rate was 8.8 percent in October, unchanged from September, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin told media on Wednesday.

The number of registered unemployed people who are "immediately available" for work rose by just 400 during October and the jobless rate remained stable at 8.8 percent of the workforce, the Labor Ministry said.

"This month, the figures are stable. We remain at 8.8 percent but with the firm intention of re-starting the fall," Villepin told the Europe 1 radio station.

Fighting unemployment has been a priority of the center-right government of Villepin and the number of unemployed has been steadily falling since March 2005.

Source: Xinhua