The pace of job losses recorded in the French economy slowed in the fourth quarter of 2009, according to revised figures.

The government disclosed that the number of jobs shed in the non-farm sector in the eurozone's second largest economy has been recalculated at 20,400 in the October to December period.

According to the new data, this represents a quarterly fall of 0.1 per cent instead of the 0.4 per cent originally reported earlier this year, Reuters reported.

However, the European country's gross domestic product grew by 0.6 per cent in the same period, reflecting the cautious hiring intentions of companies in a growing economy.

Christine Lagarde, economy minister, remains optimistic that the country's labor market will begin its recovery in the next 12 months.

She told the news agency: "This evolution confirms that the labor market is in the process of stabilising, something that should continue in 2010."

Earlier this month, the national statistics agency Insee revealed that the French unemployment rate hit its highest level in ten years at the end of 2009.