Emmanuel Macron Criticized After Telling an Unemployed Man to Cross the Street to Find Work

French President Emmanuel Macron faced criticism once again, this time for telling a job seeker that he could find work if he simply "crossed the street" and searched for employment in a different sector.

The 40-year-old head of state had previously been dubbed the "president of the rich" and drew criticism for pushing forward policies that many believe hurt French workers. Now, a video of the president advising an unemployed citizen at a cultural event at the Élysée Palace on Saturday has garnered social media anger.

"I'm 25 years old, I send résumés and cover letters, they don't lead to anything," the unemployed man said in the video, France 24 reported.

Brushing aside the man's complaint, Macron suggested he was merely searching in the wrong sector.

"If you are ready and motivated, in hotels, cafés and construction, everywhere I go people say to me that they are looking for staff," the president responded, according to the BBC. He then told the man that he could find him a job "just by crossing the street."

Many on social media were quick to criticize Macron, accusing him of once again appearing disconnected from the reality many French face in the country.

"Macron is simply not learning. Again coming across as aloof and cocky," Mathieu von Rohr, a journalist for Der Spiegel, wrote on Twitter. "If he continues like this, this won't end well."

Another Twitter user, Damiano C., whose profile said he was a doctor, sarcastically mocked the president.

"I will remember to ask the president to cross the street and find a job for me, next year in April, when my employment contract comes to its end," he wrote.

Pauline Bock, a French journalist, wrote on Twitter: "The man [Macron] has no limits."

"I am seriously floored by this. Macron is a former banker with Rothschild + is paid €13,884/month as president + is guaranteed a €20K+ pension after he leaves office," she added. "But sure, go lecture a jobless man on how to find a job."

Despite the criticism, the head of Macron's La République En Marche political party Christophe Castaner, doubled down on the president's comments.

"Is what the president said false? If you go to the Montparnasse area, you won't find that they need workers?" he said on television Sunday. "You would prefer empty words? I prefer a president who says the truth."

Macron had previously drawn criticism for saying his opponents were "slackers" who didn't want to work. He has said that union protesters demonstrating against controversial labor reforms were "stirring up trouble" instead of finding work.