(CNN) -- French Prime Minister Francois Fillon unveiled further details Monday of a 26 billion-euro ($33 billion) business stimulus package which his government hopes can stall falling growth and prevent the country joining other major European economies in recession.



Up to 1,000 projects will benefit from the package, which was first proposed by President Nicolas Sarkozy in December and approved by French lawmakers last week.



Around 20 billion euros of the total amount will be spent over the next 12 months. Businesses will receive 11.4 billion euros while the same amount will be invested in public projects with social housing identified as a priority. The final 4 billion euros will be spent on improving France's transport, energy and postal service infrastructure.



The package is expected to stimulate economic growth of around 1.3 percent, Fillon said. France has so far avoided the worst of the recession that has gripped many of its western European neighbors, including Germany and the UK.



But unemployment rose by a further 45,000 in December after surging by 64,000 in November, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said Monday, adding that she would be "very surprised" if France experienced positive growth in 2009.



Speaking to CNN this weekend at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Lagarde, defended the case for public spending in the face of fears that stimulus packages amounted to storing up unmanageable debts for future generations.



"When the house is on fire we don't look at what can be built, Lagarde said. "We need to kick start (the economy) and we need to restore confidence."
What did PM Fillion hope to stimulate? Who is the French PM? What rose in December? Who hopes the package will stimulate the economy? How much will the government spend to bolster economy? Number that unemployment rose by in December? Amount the french government spent? By how much did unemployment rise in France in December? Who is the French finance minister? How much money was the French government spending to help their economy? What did the French government do? How much did unemployment rise by in December?
economic growth Francois Fillon unemployment Prime Minister Francois Fillon ($33 billion) 45,000 26 billion-euro 45,000 Christine Lagarde 26 billion-euro unveiled further details Monday of a 26 billion-euro 45,000
question: What did PM Fillion hope to stimulate?, answer: economic growth | question: Who is the French PM?, answer: Francois Fillon | question: What rose in December?, answer: unemployment | question: Who hopes the package will stimulate the economy?, answer: Prime Minister Francois Fillon | question: How much will the government spend to bolster economy?, answer: ($33 billion) | question: Number that unemployment rose by in December?, answer: 45,000 | question: Amount the french government spent?, answer: 26 billion-euro | question: By how much did unemployment rise in France in December?, answer: 45,000 | question: Who is the French finance minister?, answer: Christine Lagarde | question: How much money was the French government spending to help their economy?, answer: 26 billion-euro | question: What did the French government do?, answer: unveiled further details Monday of a 26 billion-euro | question: How much did unemployment rise by in December?, answer: 45,000