PARIS, Jan 24 (Reuters) - France's jobless total dipped in December by 2,700 to the lowest level in more than three years, Labour Ministry data showed on Wednesday in further evidence of a job market recovery.
The number of people registered as out of work in mainland France fell to 3.451 million, down 0.1 percent over one month and 0.5 percent over one year.
The decrease brought the total to its lowest since September 2014 and means that over the course of the whole of 2017 the number of people out of work fell by 15,700 last year.
A gradual improvement in the French economy and faster job creation has so far only translated into a gradual decrease in the number of jobseekers since a peak in October 2015.
While an overhaul of the labour code in September by President Emmanuel Macron has given firms more leeway to get rid of workers, it also appears to be giving them the confidence to hire more as well.
Hiring in France's private sector hit a record high in the fourth quarter of 2017, data from the ACOSS social security fund showed earlier on Wednesday. (Reporting by Leigh Thomas; additional reporting by Myriam Rivet; editing by Michel Rose)
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