France, March 28 -- French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has unveiled plans to overhaul unemployment benefits, while promising to reduce France's spiralling deficit. The government will also test out a four-day working week.

Speaking Wednesday on TF1 television, Gabriel Attal announced the need for a reform of unemployment payments to make up for the deficit that spiralled out of control last year.

The 35-year-old prime minister said he had asked Labour Minister Catherine Vautrin to prepare "new negotiations" with social partners on unemployment insurance, proposing to reduce thelength of payments to 12 months from 18.

The proposal was immediately slammed as "unacceptable" by France's powerful trade unions.

Attal was speaking after hav...