PARIS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- After a year with the Left in power, instead of celebrating a heyday, French President Francois Hollande embraced a dismay anniversary on Monday, but he envisaged to make efforts to drive his country out of the economic quagmire.

With voters frustrated by unemployment rate already running at a 16-year high and gloom economic policy, Hollande's disapproval ratings hit a record high of 76 percent, according to the new poll released on Monday morning by TNS Sofres for i-Tele.

Sunday's street protests and the new record low popularity shadowed the Socialists' first anniversary of May's election win, as Hollande found himself leading a country on the edge of recession just a year after swearing in as president.

Besides the record high unemployment rate, the main reason for Hollande's disastrous poll ratings is that the economy is doing worse than a year ago despite some success he gained on the diplomatic front. However, the economic growth in the country seems almost frozen.

"Hollande is also accused by his detractors of neglecting the economy to concentrate on social issues deemed of lesser importance, such as the gay marriage bill, which was passed in April after months of protests," local channel FRANCE 24's Caroline Clarkson commented in her blog.

The controversial bill has taken tens of thousands of citizen, mainly the right-wingers and the religious groups, to the street to against it.

Other factors linked to the unpopular ratings of Hollande include the tax fraud scandal concerning former budget minister Jerome Cahuzac who had lied about having a secret overseas account, a behavior seen as shaking the Socialist government with critics accusing Hollande of not having done enough to find out the truth.

Squeezed by tough financial climate and rampant public disenchantment, Hollande defied growing critics, and stood firm to overturn economic slowdown and a record rise in unemployment over time.

Inherited flat economy, wide deficit gap and alarming rise in jobseekers, Hollande said understanding "the French skepticism", noting that "one year is short but four years are not long," to transform his campaign promises on concrete doings.

Addressing his ministrial staff on the first anniversary of his win over the conservative Nicolas Sarkozy, Hollande urged the government to accelerate reforms and to be more "offensive" as "... what remains to do it's considerable."

"The coming year should be one of the results ... on unemployment, on housing, on school but also the return of growth, control of expenditure ...," he pledged.

Hollande, credited to bring voters more jobs and higher wealth, vowed to reverse all-time high jobless by the end of 2013.

"I set a goal to reverse the unemployment curve at the end of the year. I repeat as often as necessary as it is the goal and it must be achieved, it is within our reach," the president stressed.

Adding to that, the Socialist head of state recommended more interest in youth and to be well prepared for the future via 10-year investment plan due to be detailed by Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault in the next few days.

"Investment is at the same time growth of today by supporting activity and that of tomorrow by improving the country's overall productivity," the president said.

The due scheme will focus mainly on the new technologies, energy transition, health and infrastructure to breathe life into lifeless economic activity and broaden job opportunities, according to Hollande.

"The government must succeed. The country needs to regain confidence in itself and not give in to the nervousness, fear, decline ...," Hollande stressed.

Looking to the remaining 4-year presidency, the Socialist occupant of the Elysee Palace expected a bounce in the Europe's main powerhouse via package of measures worth 60 billion euros (78.4 billion U.S. dollars).

He forecasted a 0.1 percent rise in gross domestic product (GDP) this year and 1.2 percent in 2014 and 2 percent annually between 2015 and 2017.

As to the budget deficit, the president promised to put the pubic finances in order by 2017 before reducing the deficit to 3 percent of GDP in 2014 from 3.7 percent set for this year.

Weighed down by high unemployment and flagging competitiveness, France's 2-trillion-euro economy is unlikely to reach the optimistic targets, and that could force the government, already under fire, to squeeze further public spending in a context of public discontent, analysts said.

Announcing three priorities for the coming year, employment, youth and preparation for the future, Hollande embarks on his second-year trip. He needs to show the public that he dedicates wholeheartedly to the improvement of France and the benefit of its people.