PARIS, France - December 26, 2011 - The number of jobless people in France hit a 12-year high in November in the latest sign the French job market is deteriorating ahead of the April-May presidential election.

Labor ministry data issued on Monday showed that the number of registered jobseekers in mainland France rose by 29,900 in November to reach 2.85 million, up 1.1% on the month and 5.2% on the year.

The increase, which brought the jobless total to its highest level since November 1999, deals a fresh blow to President Nicolas Sarkozy, as he struggles to convince voters he is the best person to drive the euro zone’s second-biggest economy as he seeks a second mandate.

The monthly labor ministry data are the most frequently reported domestic jobs indicators in France, although they are not prepared according to widely used International Labor Organization (ILO) standards and are not expressed as an unemployment rate - the number of job seekers compared to the total workforce.