Thousands of unemployed people have joined demonstrations in more than fifty French cities to demand higher welfare benefits and a bonus payment for Christmas.

In Paris, several hundred people briefly occupied part of the stock exchange building to highlight the opposition to a government plan to reduce a key tax on shares.

The protesters say the initiative would further polarise society.

Protestors also occupied a luxury department store in the southern city of Bordeaux.

More than eleven percent of the workforce are unemeployed in France.

Correspondents say unemployed groups are hoping to emulate last year's protest movement when they occupied benefit offices and forced the government to raise their monthly payments.