Reunion Island : the French department the most affected by unemployment - Unemployment is a new idea in Reunion Island. It did not exist twenty-five years ago. At that time, it was rather the labor force that was lacking during a large part of the year, during the sugar campaign. Today, of all French departments (including the other overseas territories), Reunion Island has the highest rate of unemployment : 37 %. There are three major reasons for this state of affairs. The deographic explosion has brought about a flow of young people into the work market. Agricultural jobs are decreasing significantly. Last, woman are showing a more and more decided determination to occupy salaried jobs. The continuation of these evolutions justifies a m...