The number of jobseekers grew by 36,900 in March, the 23rd consecutive month of growing unemployment, and the number of long-term unemployed who have been out of work for more than a year also hit a record high of 1.89 million.
The previous unemployment record in France was 3.195 million in January 1997.
Including those who are only partially employed, the number of people registered with Pôle Emploi stands at more than five million.
Meanwhile, a new study from economic thinktank the Conseil d'Analyse Economique has warned that French business competitiveness is set to worsen.
Its report found that France was one of the few European countries where salaries have risen since 2008, as businesses preferred to cut jobs than cut pay.
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