By William Horobin

PARIS--The number of people unemployed in France rose to a new record high in October, figures showed Thursday, highlighting the depth of the challenge President Francois Hollande faces to repair the eurozone's second largest economy.

The number of unemployed--defined as registered job seekers who are fully unemployed--stood at 3,460,900 in October, the labor ministry said. That marked a 0.8% increase from September and a 5.5% increase from October 2013. The number of unemployed people increased in every age category in October.

Since Mr. Hollande took power in May 2012, the ranks of the unemployed have swollen by over half a million. That is despite the socialist leader's efforts to increase employment with state-sponsored jobs for young people and a more recent initiative to cut labor taxes in a bid to get employers recruiting.

The French President is battling against prolonged economic stagnation in France and the wider eurozone. Things aren't expected to get easier anytime soon as the government forecasts economic growth will only accelerate slightly next year from an expected meagre 0.4% this year.

French Labor Minister Francois Rebsamen said in a statement that the government will continue with its plans to roll out state-sponsored jobs.

"In this period of weak growth, keeping up our efforts for government employment schemes is crucial," Mr. Rebsamen said.

Write to William Horobin at william.horobin@wsj.com