Pensions: The High Commission for Planning is considering three to four additional years of contributions by 2050.

Presented as part of the prospective exercise "France 2035, France 2050", the report "Choosing your job tomorrow" proposes to rebuild the French social model around an increase in the employment rate, increased investment in skills and an extension of the working life.

The document starts from the observation that the model inherited from the Trente Glorieuses, marked by the progressive reduction of working hours, the increase in purchasing power and prospects for social advancement, no longer responds to demographic, economic and technological transformations.

"The model of the Trente Glorieuses (1945-1975), with working hours tending to decrease, purchasing power from work increasing and favorable conditions for social advancement, is now clearly exhausted," said Clément Beaune, High Commissioner for Strategy.

The High Commissioner thus advocates the creation of a "new social pact" designed to better remunerate work, secure career paths and maintain the financing of social protection.

Three to four additional years of contributions by 2050

To address the aging population and slowing productivity gains, the report presents two options. The first would be to introduce a points-based retirement system allowing for greater flexibility in adjusting working hours and accruing pension rights throughout one's life.

The second proposal aims to increase the contribution period by three to four years by 2050. Currently, this period is between 42 and 43 years, excluding special schemes. According to the report, this change would help restore the financial balance of pension schemes and fund new social rights.

Antoine Foucher, former chief of staff to Labor Minister Muriel Pénicaud and the lead on this project, illustrated the potential consequences of this option. A person who started working at 18 would thus retire at 64 rather than 61. For someone entering the workforce around 23 or 24, retirement could occur around 70.

These examples do not, however, constitute an announcement of new legal retirement ages. They illustrate the effects that the proposed extension of the contribution period would have, depending on the age of entry into the labor market.

A right to part-time work to keep older workers employed

Longer careers would be associated with greater freedom in the organization of working time. The report notably proposes the creation of a universal time savings account (CETU), transferable between companies and across different stages of a career.

The CETU (Contract for the Use of Unemployed Workers) was the subject of an agreement concluded in 2024 between the CFDT (French Democratic Confederation of Labour), the CFTC (French Confederation of Christian Workers), and the Union of Local Businesses (U2P), which represents, in particular, craftspeople, shopkeepers, and professionals. However, this agreement has not yet been enshrined in law.

The document also recommends a right to part-time work in the later stages of one's career to limit early exits from the labor market, particularly due to incapacity or health reasons. It mentions, as an example, an arrangement based on 80% of working time, 90% of pay, and 100% of pension rights, which should be the subject of consultation between the government and social partners.

1,5 million apprentices targeted by 2035

Investing in skills is the other pillar of the proposed strategy. The High Commission aims to continue developing initial training, apprenticeships, and work-study programs, while further aligning training with the needs of businesses.

The stated objective is to increase the number of apprentices to 1,5 million by 2035, a level comparable to that of Germany. The report also proposes focusing hiring incentives on very small, small, and medium-sized enterprises, which need them most.

This trend directly affects the construction sector. According to projections cited in the report, retirements could represent more than 35% of jobs in certain industrial and construction trades, leading to significant needs for replacement and skills transfer.

By 2050, every employee could also have, at least once in their lifetime, a universal right to retraining for a period of six months to one year. This program would primarily target workers with the shortest educational backgrounds and those in professions facing significant skills shortages.

Increase the employment rate to 78% by 2050

The report estimates that a larger number of people will need to participate in the labor market to maintain the funding of the social welfare system. The employment rate for 15-64 year olds, projected at 69% in 2025, is expected by its authors to reach 74% in 2035 and then 78% in 2050.

This progress would rely in particular on retaining older workers in employment, increasing women's participation in the workforce, and improving the job placement of young people. The document also considers that the contribution of immigrant workers will become increasingly important in maintaining, or even increasing, the skilled workforce by 2050.

To address the increasing number of discontinuous career paths and the growth of self-employment, the High Commission is finally proposing a social protection system tailored to the individual. This would be based on three complementary levels: universal coverage for health and workplace accidents, sector-specific protection defined by professional branches, and individual supplementary benefits.

In the shorter term, the report estimates that improving purchasing power requires reducing the gap between gross and net pay. This decrease in employee social security contributions should be offset by broadening the tax base that finances social protection.