French President Macron's approval rating falls below 50 percent - Ifop

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech to members of France's Chinese community to mark Chinese New Year, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, February 16, 2018. REUTERS/Ian Langsdon/Pool

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron's approval rating has fallen below 50 percent to its lowest level since October last year, a poll showed on Sunday, as the government pushes ahead with plans to shake up France's costly civil service.

In a Feb. 7-17 survey by pollster Ifop for the weekly Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper, 44 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with Macron, down 6 points from Ifop's previous poll in January.