Mutual Termination Agreements: Reduction of Unemployment Benefit Duration from 1 September 2026
Employees whose employment contract ends following an individual mutual termination agreement (rupture conventionnelle) effective from 1 September 2026 will receive unemployment benefits for a shorter period. The duration of unemployment benefits paid by France Travail following a dismissal remains unchanged.
| Employee’s age at the end of the employment contract | Current benefit duration | New benefit duration |
Under 55 |
18 months |
15 months (reduction of 3 months) |
55 to 56 |
22.5 months |
20.5 months (reduction of 2 months) |
57 and over |
27 months |
20.5 months (reduction of 6.5 months) |
Specific benefit periods apply in certain French overseas territories.
The relevant date is the effective termination date of the employment contract, rather than the date on which the mutual termination agreement (Cerfa form) is signed.
Any termination agreement taking effect on or after September 1, 2026, will be subject to the new unemployment benefits eligibility periods.
For employees who are not protected employees, if the mutual termination agreement is signed no later than 23 July 2026, the employment contract may end before 1 September 2026, allowing the employee to benefit from the current, longer unemployment benefit periods.
Employees who are at least 55 years old when their employment ends may apply for an extension of their unemployment benefits in order to reach the standard benefit duration.
However, this extension remains subject to the approval of France Travail, which will assess each application on a case-by-case basis after the first year of compensation, taking into account the jobseeker’s efforts, such as actively seeking employment or making progress with a professional project (training, career change, business creation, etc.).
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We remain at your disposal to answer any questions you may have and to assist you in anticipating the impact of these new rules.