French jobless claims rose anew in May by a further 16,200 to reach a record high as a labor market recovery proves elusive despite an improving growth outlook in the euro zone's second-biggest economy.

The Labor Ministry said the number of people registered as out of work in mainland France stood at 3,552,200 at the end of May, up 0.5 percent over one month and 5.0 percent over one year.

Unemployment has continued to rise unabated despite a string of indicators showing the economy is gaining speed after mostly stagnating over the past three years.

France's economy posted growth of 0.6 percent in the first quarter of the year from the previous three months, boosted by a pick-up in corporate profit margins and household spending, the INSEE national statistics agency said earlier Wednesday.

President Francois Hollande has seen popularity ratings reach record lows as he struggled to live up to promises to turn the unemployment trend around, although they have nudged up in recent months as the economy perked up.