Paris, January 8 (RHC)-- A report shows the number of suicide deaths in France has increased with the unemployment rate, with nearly 600 suicides attributed to the rise in joblessness over a two-year period.

The study by the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) and released on Tuesday found a 10-percent rise in unemployment is associated with a 1.5-percent increase in the suicide rate. The findings showed that an estimated 584 suicides were linked to joblessness between 2008 and 2010.

The report added that the association was statistically significant for French males, especially among those aged 25-49. "The association observed between suicide and unemployment rates concerns particularly men of working age," INSERM added.

The institute called for a priority to labor force-based suicide prevention policies, which target young men. According to the national observatory on suicide, France has one of the highest suicide rates in Europe, with one in 50 deaths attributed to self-murder. A report published by the observatory last November showed 11,400 people in France committed suicide in 2011.

Since the economic crisis erupted in France in 2008, the country has seen rising unemployment with the latest figures showing a new record high of 3.488 million people claiming jobless benefits.

France is grappling with economic woes, which are seen as the worst since French President Francois Hollande came to office in May 2012. The austerity measures adopted by the Paris government have put French citizens under more financial pressure than ever.