Unemployment: new rules introduced

A new unemployment insurance agreement, signed by a majority of organizations representing employees and employers, entered into force on 1 January^er January 2025. For operational reasons, some new rules are only introduced as from 1^er April 2025. Most of these measures concern jobseekers whose employment contract ends on or after 1^er April 2025 and to those whose dismissal proceedings are initiated as of that date.

The unemployment benefit is paid monthly on a 30-day basis

Until March 31, 2025, the monthly amount of unemployment benefit which is paid to you varies according to the number of days in the month, being higher in a 31-day month than in a 30-day month. As of 1^er April 2025, unemployment benefit payments are monthly based on 30 calendar days regardless of the month; thus, the amount of the benefit no longer varies according to the number of days in the month. This measure applies to all recipients under the ordinary law, including those in the process of being compensated at the time of entry into force of that provision.

Evolution of age limits to benefit from a longer duration of compensation

As of 1^er april 2025 the maximum compensation periods are

• 22 and a half months (685 days), if you are 55 or 56 years old at the end of your employment contract (compared to 53 or 54 years so far);
• 27 months (822 days), if you are at least 57 years old at the end of your employment contract (compared to at least 55 years so far).

For other jobseekers, the maximum duration of compensation continues to be 18 months.

Change in the age threshold at which the periods of work taken into account to qualify for unemployment benefit are sought in the last 36 months instead of the last 24 months

As of 1^er April 2025, you must be at least 55 years old (instead of 53 years old) for the periods of work taken into account when determining your unemployment benefit to be searched in the last 36 months before the end of your employment contract. For other jobseekers, periods of work for which compensation is payable are sought within 24 months of the end of the employment contract.

Changes in age limits to benefit from longer duration of compensation for training

Until March 31, 2025, 53- and 54-year-old jobseekers in training receive a 137-day (4 and a half months) extension of their entitlement to unemployment benefit; this extension is 182 days (6 months) for residents of overseas departments and regions. As of 1^er april 2025, this extension of the duration of compensation applies to beneficiaries aged 55 or over who are undergoing training compensated under the return-to-work assistance allowance training.

Change in the age threshold at which the degressivity of the allowance is not applied

As of 1^er april 2025 the degressivity of the unemployment benefit, which concerns jobseekers receiving a daily allowance of more than €92.12, is no longer applied to recipients who are at least 55 years old (until then, it is necessary to be at least 57 years old for this degressivity not to apply). This degressivity is a mechanism whereby the amount of unemployment benefit is reduced by a maximum of 30% from 7^e months of compensation.

For seasonal workers, a reduction in working hours allowing them to receive unemployment benefit

If you are a seasonal worker, as of 1^er april 2025, you can receive unemployment benefit provided you have worked at least 5 months in the last 24 months; until that date, you need to have worked at least 6 months in the last 24 months to receive it. Correlated, as of 1^er April 2025, the minimum duration of compensation is set at 5 months for seasonal workers.

The possibility of leaving a job which has been taken over extended to 4 months

As of 1^er april 2025, if, during the period in which you receive unemployment benefit, you accept a job and then terminate that employment contract after a maximum of 88 working days (approximately 4 months), you can recover your right to unemployment benefit; this breach of contract is therefore not treated as voluntary unemployment. This new provision applies to recipients who terminate a job taken over from 1^er April 2025. Until 31 March 2025, you can only recover your right to unemployment benefit if you have broken your contract after 65 working days (approximately 3 months).

Clarification of the constituent elements of a reasonable job offer

A job offer is considered reasonable whether it corresponds in particular to:

• your level of qualifications and skills;
• the geographical area of your job search;
• at the salary level you expect.

If 2 reasonable job offers are refused without a legitimate reason, you may be removed from the list of jobseekers and your allowance may be canceled if you are compensated.

A decree issued in Official Journal of 21 March 2025 states that the expected salary must now be defined in line with the remuneration practiced in France. It is therefore no longer possible to define this salary on the basis of salaries in neighboring countries. Previously, a frontier worker who lost his job in, say, Switzerland or Luxembourg could use wages in those countries, or former wages abroad, to determine his wage claims in France.