PARIS, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- France was set to number less job claims this year despite lower-than-expected economic growth, mainly by pouring more cash into training to incite recruitment, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Thursday.

"Unemployment rate is going down and will continue to decline. Without making up the numbers, we're going to invest heavily to find the skills," he told France inter-radio.

Asked whether the joblessness rate could stand at 8 percent in 2019, Philippe declined to give figures, saying "the aim is to make unemployment fall. We can do it".

Currently, France's unemployment rate stands at 9.1 percent. The government targets to lower the rate to 7 percent by 2022 which, according to Philippe, was "perfectly achievable".

Speaking about growth rate, Philippe admitted that this year's growth "is too little", but he rejected "the apocalyptic image" painted by some critics.

"The growth rate will be at 1.7 percent... This is twice more than the last ten years," he said. Previously, the government targeted to accelerate the gross domestic product (GDP) growth to 1.9 percent.

"What is ... disturbing is that in a country with normal growth, we are still at 9.1 percent of unemployment and we are struggling to recruit," he added.

In its latest economic outlook, French central bank saw the GDP growth at 1.6 percent in 2018, down by two percentages point from an initial forecast, blaming unfavorable international business climate clouded by mounting protectionism.

As to the jobless rate, it expected the figure to stand at 8.3 percent in 2020.