France eyes 1.5 pct growth in 2015 : PM

France targets to expand its national wealth by 1.5 percent by the end of year after reporting unexpected rise in GDP in first quarter, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Monday.

"We must consolidate this growth. It is necessary to reinforce it throughout the year, so that, we will have gradually a growth rate at or more, if necessary, of 1.5 percent at the end of the year," Valls told France Culture radio.

"This is the figure that allows us to reduce unemployment," he said, adding that "the government's economic policy would be totally credible when unemployment will fall."

In this context, Valls pledged to unveil new proposals to encourage recruitment in small and medium companies to help create jobs for millions of jobseekers.

Despite an expected rosy picture of France's growth, high unemployment was still challenging economic recovery in the country, the statistics institute, Insee said in a recent released last month.

The jobless rate will stand at 10.2 percent in mainland France for the whole year of 2015, the highest level in two decades, it expected. Endit