AI, work-study studies interrupted due to lack of internship... In Saint-Denis, unemployed young people are teetering between temporary work and discouragement

According to the INSEE report, Tuesday November 10, for the third quarter of 2026, the unemployment rate in France is 8.2%. A figure that is almost stable compared to the second quarter (8.3%), but an increase of 0.4 points compared to the third quarter of 2025. Also read Young people who abandon their studies are much more exposed to unemployment, according to an INSEE survey. Among 15-24 year olds, this rate rises to 21%, a situation already similar in 2025.

But in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, youth unemployment is slightly above average, with 23%, according to June figures. The problem of automated computing For Manolo, 23, who is waiting for his turn at the local mission, the problem is the lack of diplomas. “Between Covid, where it was remote, where I had a lot of difficulty following, and the fact that in the end, it wasn't really the subject that suited me...

", he ultimately only has the bac S, because he abandoned his computer science studies. With the development of artificial intelligence which automates coding tasks, making the work sometimes less interesting, access to these professions has become more complicated: "The professions at the bottom of the IT chain, which are easily more automated, are those in which one can start to have experience, laments Manolo. Now, as soon as we look for offers, we directly need 5-10 years of experience.

"He will try to get his license to widen his search area. Interviews which are unsuccessful In front of the local mission, Mohammed, 19, is also a little lost. He is registered with France Travail, because his training to be a reception agent at the airport was not enough to find a job.

“I was completely behind the work at the airport,” he says. “I did lots of interviews, I saw that it didn’t work out, so I stopped. That discouraged me.

"Previously, he had to abandon a BTS, because he had not found a company for his work-study program. "I was fired as a result," he testifies. Same problem for Soumia, Sarah's daughter, who explains: "What's a shame is that she had found a work-study school, but she hadn't found the boss.

We blocked her and she said: 'Mom, I'll stop.' "After giving up this work-study in medical secretarial work, Soumia registered with France Travail and says: "I had CVs, I travel. Afterwards, I registered on job search, Indeed.

I've searched forums etc, but still nothing. “She is going to take the BAFA to become a facilitator. A shortage of companies for work-study internshipsVirginie Dalmar and Inès Benada, from the local mission of Saint-Denis-Pierrefitte, confirm the problem of work-study training.

Machine-translated from French