Le Cleiss Particuliers Employeurs Indépendants Documentation Actu

systèmes nationaux de sécurité sociale > France > Version anglaise

The unemployment insurance scheme is the product of an agreement between the “social partners” (the two sides of industry). The freedom of the social partners to negotiate is however constrained at two levels:

• by the law, which determines the structure of the system,
• by the provisions for enforcing the law, which are agreed upon by the social partners. The agreement thus negotiated must be then be approved by government. In the absence of any agreement or approval, enforcement provisions are decided by order of the Council of State.

Organisational structure

The public employment service has been reorganised around two bodies: the bipartite body UNEDIC (National Professional Union for Employment in Industry and Trade), which will continue to perform its task of administering the unemployment insurance scheme and organising the benefits payment system, and the new service for jobseekers ("Pôle emploi") formed by the amalgamation of the ASSEDIC and the ANPE. The Pôle emploi brings all employment services under a single body, with a single point of contact for registering, counselling, training, placing and paying benefits to jobseekers.

Financing

The unemployment insurance scheme is financed through contributions paid on earnings: subject to the limit of four times the social security ceiling (€11,784 per month).

Since 1st January 2011, unemployment insurance contributions have been collected by the URSSAF.

Applicability

The scheme is applicable to all employees of companies covered by the agreement.

Benefits

The amount and duration of benefit payments depend upon the period during which the claimant has contributed to the scheme and total contributions paid.

Entitlement

To qualify for unemployment benefit, the claimant must satisfy the following conditions:

• have lost their job further to termination by the employer, the end of a fixed-term employment contract, termination by mutual agreement or resignation for a valid reason,
• be physically employable,
• be registered as a jobseeker with the "Pôle emploi",
• be actively seeking employment,
• have been registered with the scheme for a minimum period (at least 122 days in the last 28 months, or the last 36 months for jobseekers aged 50 and over),
• be below the statutory retirement age (or the qualifying age for a full pension),
• accept "reasonable" job offers (sanctions apply if they refuse more that two such offers).

Replacement income

The daily unemployment allowance is calculated partly on the basis of a daily reference wage. The reference wage is based on earnings subject to contributions during the 12 calendar months prior to the last day of paid work, up to a limit of four times the social security ceiling (€11,784 per month).
The amount of the daily allowance is either:

• 40.4% of the daily reference wage plus a fixed amount of €11.17,
• 57.4% of the daily reference wage if this is more advantageous for the claimant.

The net amount of the daily allowance cannot be lower than €27.25 or higher than 75% of the daily reference wage.

Benefit is paid for every day of the week. On top of a “paid holidays-waiting period” a maximum 75-day waiting period applies in the case of non-statutory separation pay, as well as a seven-day deferred compensation payment.

The duration of benefit payments depends on the period during which the jobseeker has been registered with the scheme and their age. Benefits are paid for a minimum period of 122 days and a maximum period of 730 days for private-sector employees aged under 50, and 1,095 days for employees aged over 50.

For more information, visit the UNEDIC and Pôle emploi websites.

Public service: http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F1447.xhtml#N1019B